Higher Education Hit With Budget Cuts - KMIT-TV

After four years straight of cuts, higher education institutions in Minnesota are braving another round. All schools are losing 10 % of their state funding. Locally, Riverland Community College says tuition will raise by 4% making up some of the gap, along with personnel cuts they've already made. Still, leaders say it's becoming more difficult for Minnesota colleges to stay competitive. Riverland's President Dr. Terry Leas says, "Students are likely to come part time instead of full time because they have to work. Or they take out big loans and then they graduate with a lot of debt, which is like a boat anchor on them". Students will also notice it takes them longer to get into some courses at Riverland because they don't offer as many sections. And they don't have the physical space to make classes bigger.