1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; requiring a report; appropriating money for grants to 
1.3 	state colleges to increase the number of faculty counselors.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. STATE COLLEGE FACULTY COUNSELOR GRANTS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Program established; student-to-counselor ratio goal. (a) The Board 
1.7 	of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities shall establish a competitive 
1.8 	grant program to increase the number of full-time faculty counselors at two-year state 
1.9 	colleges.
1.10 	(b) Each college must employ full-time faculty counselors whose primary assignment 
1.11 	is counselor duties. For a campus with fewer than 750 students enrolled at a campus site on 
1.12 	the 30th day of an academic year, the campus must have at least one unlimited full-time 
1.13 	faculty counselor. For a campus with more than 750 students enrolled at a campus site on 
1.14 	the 30th day of an academic year, the campus must employ the number of full-time counselors 
1.15 	necessary for the number of students per counselor to be the lesser of:
1.16 	(1) 750; or
1.17 	(2) the number of students per full-time counselor at the campus on February 1, 2023.
1.18 		Subd. 2.Eligible institutions; allowable use of grant funds. (a) Only a two-year state 
1.19 	college may receive a grant under this section.
1.20 	(b) Grants awarded under this section must be used to increase the number of full-time 
1.21 	faculty counselors at the recipient college in order to meet the student-to-counselor ratio 
1.22 	goal established in subdivision 1. Grants may be used for recruitment of new faculty 
2.1 	counselors or retention of existing faculty counselors. Grant funds may be used for costs 
2.2 	associated with recruitment of new faculty counselors, faculty counselor salaries and benefits, 
2.3 	and delivery of counseling services to students.
2.4 		Subd. 3.Administration. (a) The board must establish an application process and other 
2.5 	guidelines for implementing this program. The board shall prioritize awards to state colleges 
2.6 	that do not meet the student-to-counselor ratio goal established in subdivision 1.
2.7 	(b) To the extent possible, grant awards should have broad geographic distribution across 
2.8 	the state and be made to as many state colleges as possible given funds available for the 
2.9 	program.
2.10 		Subd. 4.Report required. By December 1, 2025, the board shall report to the legislative 
2.11 	committees with jurisdiction over higher education policy and finance about grants awarded 
2.12 	under this section. The report must include the following information:
2.13 	(1) the student-to-counselor ratio for each state college as of February 1, 2023;
2.14 	(2) the most current student-to-counselor ratio for each state college;
2.15 	(3) a list of all state colleges receiving a grant under this section and the grant award 
2.16 	amount;
2.17 	(4) for each grant recipient, an explanation of how the grant funds were utilized; and
2.18 	(5) an evaluation of the grant program, its successes and challenges, and recommendations 
2.19 	to the legislature regarding the program.
2.20 		Subd. 5.Expiration. This section expires June 1, 2026.

2.21 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; FACULTY COUNSELOR GRANTS.
 2.22 	(a) $....... in fiscal year 2024 and $....... in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the 
2.23 	general fund to the commissioner of the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges 
2.24 	and Universities for faculty counselor grants under section 1 of this act. This is a onetime 
2.25 	appropriation.
2.26 	(b) A balance in fiscal year 2024 does not cancel, but is available for fiscal year 2025.