Univ. of Minn. Promise Scholarship looking less promising

Lofty name but eroding funds

MPR’s Tim Post has a story this morning on how the University of Minnesota is cutting back on its Promise Scholarship, which helps cover about $12,000 a year in tuition and fees for the neediest students.

The U isn’t exactly breaking its promise, since those who already have it won’t see a decline in funding.

But Promise tudents starting this fall will have to provide at least some money to pay for tuition. U officials say that’s because an increase in needy students coupled with a decline in state funding has cut into the money.

Minerva Munoz of the Upward Bound program tells Post:

“I think it’ll be harder for our students to decide if the University of Minnesota is in fact where they want to go.”

Read the full story and listen to the audio here.

About the blogger

Alex Friedrich

afriedrich@mpr.org

Alex Friedrich reports on higher education issues for MPR News. Among the stories he has covered: the fall of the Berlin Wall, aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, 2003 Moscow suicide bombing and 2004 presidential elections in the Republic of Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s in European political economy from the London School of Economics.