Affording college in today’s economic climate
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) — College can be expensive and for some, possibly out of the question.
Minnesota State University — Moorhead (MSUM) opened the academic year with a 31% increase in enrollment. But there’s one Minnesota program giving more than 200 MSUM students the chance at an education, the North Star Promise Program. The program is offered across the state and provides free college tuition to students from Minnesota with a family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $80,000 on the FAFSA form.
It comes in as what is sometimes called a “last dollar program.” For some students, that gap might be $100, for some students, it might be $2,000, for some, it could be $0. But it’s that catch program to make sure that students can at least engage with the schooling process without a tuition charge,” said Thomas Reburn, the Dean of Admissions at MSUM.
Reburn says there’s been a lot of enrollment growth at MSUM recently. Not necessarily because of the North Star Promise, but the opportunities the university offers.
“The strength of our academic programs, the interest in our campus vibrancy. Students are really seeking out the experience that we offer, and this is an added resource for some students that are in need.”
While this program is only for Minnesota students, North Dakota State University (NDSU) is working to make sure everyone who wants an education can get one with its Tuition Award Program. Started a few years ago, the program is to help with mandatory student fees for both North Dakota and Minnesota students.
“Since we’ve had the program compared to before we had the program, we’ve seen a 2% in students coming back in their first year and about a 3% increase in transfer students coming back in their first year. Again, those are Pell-Eligible students, so in the grand scheme of things, our retention rates have actually went up across the board in large part because of this program and that we’re supporting students who may need the extra support,” said Seinquis Leinen, Senior Director of Strategic Enrollment Management at NDSU.
Leinen says the North Star Promise isn’t hurting enrollment. Because of its respective tuition programs, Minnesota students are coming to NDSU’s campus more now than ever.
”We haven’t seen a lot of fluctuation in enrollment. In fact, as of the first day, we are up about 4% in new students coming from Minnesota.”
From NDSU to the whole North Dakota State University System, opportunities for students are at the forefront. Lisa Johnson, Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs for the North Dakota State University System, explains:
“It really just compels us to work even harder to come up with programs to maintain that pipeline of students through our educational system, to consider and maintain them in North Dakota. Not just for college, but for employment opportunities at the end of their career as well.”
For more information on the North Dakota State University System and its financial aid options, click here.
Copyright 2025 KVLY. All rights reserved.