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University of Minnesota regents approve budget featuring tuition hikes, program cuts

Tuition hike approved by U of M board of regents
Tuition hike approved by U of M board of regents 00:17

The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents on Wednesday approved next year's operating budget, which features tuition hikes of up to 7.5% and a 7% cut to academic programs.

The cuts, first proposed earlier this month, were in response to "unprecedented challenges facing higher education," the university said, including federal funding cuts.

"We are making tough, strategic decisions to protect our mission and secure our future," President Rebecca Cunningham said when announcing the budget proposal.

The budget increases undergraduate tuition rates at all of the school's campuses, with a 4% hike at the Crookston and Duluth campuses and a 5% hike at Morris. The in-state tuition rate would go up 6.5% for students at the Rochester and Twin Cities campuses, while out-of-state tuition would rise by 7.5% in the Twin Cities.

Some university employees will see a 3% increase based on merit, the university said in a release.   

In addition to federal funding cuts, the university anticipates a 3.5% decrease to state funding when adjusted for inflation.

The U is currently facing two federal lawsuits: one alleging discrimination against White students and another for failing to protect Jewish students. The Trump administration is threatening to cut more than $150 million a year from the university's National Institutes of Health medical research funding if the university does not cooperate.  

The budget passed with a 9-3 vote.

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