FY23 Supplemental Budget Request

In May 2022, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die without passing major supplemental finance bills, a tax bill, or a bonding bill. Despite a historic budget surplus, legislators grappled with election year pressures coupled with no requirement to pass budget or bonding bills. Since the legislature did not pass a bonding bill or higher education budget bill before they adjourned, the University's legislative requests were not funded.

FY23 Supplemental Budget Request Overview

Safety and security
$90 million one-time & $10 million recurring

• Increase visible security and police presence with additional personnel on the Twin Cities campus to supplement the University’s recent and ongoing investments to enhance safety, security, and community engagement.
• Ensure access control and camera coverage for all UMN buildings across the system. 
• Achieve recognized standards for access control, video surveillance coverage, and lighting for all system campuses. 
• Support an advanced campus monitoring center that monitors 24/7 campus activities and provides an early warning system for safety events.
• Prevent unauthorized access to the University’s most sensitive information systems and protect the data contained in them by mitigating current vulnerabilities and building foundational technical infrastructure and processes that enable the institution to avoid cybersecurity threats.

Sustainability and innovation
$85 million one-time

• $75 million one-time will advance campus sustainability
  • Develop campus sustainability and utility master plans systemwide
  • Implement on-campus solar electricity generation
  • Continue to convert to electric vehicles
  • Install geothermal heating and cooling infrastructure
  • Convert from steam to hot water systems 

• $10 million one-time will support Natural Resources and Research Institute (NRRI) applied research
  • Expand laboratory space for updated instrumentation and researchers in aquatic ecology and water management, forestry and wildlife studies and mineral research in Duluth
  • Create a new mineral processing and metallurgy facility in Coleraine with globally-unique equipment and capabilities to support the Iron and Minerals of the Future research program in partnership with state, federal, and industry leaders
  • Learn more about this NRRI request

Access and affordability
$65 million recurring

Reduce financial barriers to student achievement by targeting aid to those students who most need support and enhance services that are specifically focused on ensuring students flourish and graduate in four years. This three-pronged approach includes: 

• $30 million recurring will support the existing systemwide Promise Program will better support students with financial need, including historically underrepresented students, through the following components:
  • increase the current $4,000 award to students from families at the lowest income range to $5,300; 
  • increase each award moving up the income scale; 
  • expand the upper-income threshold for eligibility from $120,000 to $160,000 (twice the Minnesota Median income); and 
  • increase the lowest award in the program for those at the higher income levels from approximately $300 to $1,300.  
• $30 million recurring will create a new Greater Minnesota Scholarship to attract and retain students to UMC, UMD, UMM, and UMR by providing: 
  • $3,000 to $4,000 in year one to every MN resident entering as a freshman at those campuses, and 
  • an additional $4,000 to $5,000 for each of those students spread over-enrollment years 2 through 4. 
  • This program is over and above all other existing aid programs, including Promise. These estimates cover total Minnesota enrollment as it stands today, plus support growth toward the enrollment goal for each of these campuses.
• $5 million recurring will improve existing services for students to recognize that the best form of financial aid is to graduate in four years vs. five or six and will allow the University to:
  • meet increasing student demands, 
  • increase equity through strengthening support for students with historically low retention and graduation rates, and 
  • better address issues that slow down students’ degree progress, such as mental health, tutoring needs, financial literacy, and academic advising. 

Dollars in millions.