State Office of Higher Ed back in action today

Just got this from the state Office of Higher Education:

OHE STAFF RETURN TO WORK IN TIME FOR PEAK STATE GRANT SEASON

Dr. Sheila Wright, Director of the Office of Higher Education (OHE), welcomed the return of all OHE employees back to work on Thursday and said that, for thousands of Minnesota students, the government shutdown ended just in time.

“Over the coming month, it is estimated that as many as 80,000 students in Minnesota are scheduled to receive their state grant award to help pay for fall semester,” said Dr. Wright. “As of today, agency employees are busily processing grant applications to avoid any significant delays.”

Other OHE services resuming today include the State Work Study, MN GI Bill, Child Care grants and the American Indian Scholarship Program.

Dr. Wright said she is very pleased that spending reductions for the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) and the Office of Higher Education included in the final budget agreement are significantly smaller than the earlier conference committee report.

She also welcomes available funds for colleges and universities included in the Capitol Investment bill, which will allow both systems to move forward with important infrastructure improvements.

“I am deeply appreciative of Governor Dayton for his determination to end the shutdown as quickly as possible, and thank him for his continued support for higher education,” said Wright. “Everyone is back at work and committed more than ever to helping each and every student in Minnesota fulfill their dream of continued education at the postsecondary level.”

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