S.F. No 3028 is the omnibus higher education policy bill.

Article 1 requires MnSCU review of MCA benchmarks of college readiness.  Students who receive a college ready score on the MCA cannot be required to take a MnSCU remedial course in areas they tested college ready.

Article 2 contains Office of Higher Education (OHE) proposed technical provisions mostly clarifying components of the 2015 enacted teacher shortage loan forgiveness program.

Article 3 makes professional and graduate students eligible for state child care grants.

Article 4 requires information be provided by OHE and certain employers to individuals about federal loan forgiveness programs. 

Article 5 requires OHE to provide information regarding acceptance of dual credit by public and private colleges in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota.

Article 6 directs MnSCU to fully recognize within MnSCU credits earned at MnSCU institutions.  It also directs MnSCU to move towards more consistency in course content among identical course offerings.

Article 7 requires MnSCU to operate a pilot program for developmentally disabled students at suitable community college and university campuses with residential facilities.

Article 8 requires MnSCU to recognize agricultural science credits to satisfy the Minnesota transfer curriculum.  MnSCU must report on its policy of accepting transfer credits for courses that have an occupational component.

Article 9 requires separate reports from MnSCU and the University of Minnesota regarding privacy policies for employee-owned electronic devices used at least in part to perform work.

Article 10 repeals a law authorizing OHE to raise tuition caps used to calculate state grants if the state grant program has surplus appropriations.

Article 11 makes technical corrections to a pilot program for student loan debt counseling.

JCF/syl