NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Nathan Coulter
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 51B – 651-296-4218 – rep.nathan.coulter@house.mn.gov
569 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
April 4, 2024
House Higher Education Policy Bill Passes, Limits Online Program Managers
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the House Higher Education Committee’s package of policy proposals, House File 4024. The bill is a focused effort to build off the landmark investments included in the 2023 Higher Education Budget.
Included in the policy package is legislation to regulate online program managers. The provision, authored by Rep. Nathan Coulter (DFL – Bloomington) will introduce some guardrails to ensure university dollars are being well used on OPMs, rather than high rates returning little benefit while passing along the cost to students. OPMs are private, for-profit businesses that frequently contract with colleges and universities to help with a host of services from recruitment to curriculum. These companies can be a great help when used correctly, but often charge high rates for insufficient work.
“It’s important to ensure students are getting the best education possible,” said Rep. Nathan Coulter. “When used wisely, OPM’s can be a great tool, but bad actors taking advantage of institutions not only wastes precious dollars, butalso jeopardizes the quality of education and graduate’s credentials. OPM’s come in with big pitches and promises, but often don’t measure up. This legislation shows that we are serious about protecting our investments, our institutions, and our students. I’m proud to carry this across the finish line.”
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