HF4252

Purpose

This bill makes changes to Minnesota’s higher education laws to (1) improve how student aid programs are reported and tracked, (2) require new protections and accommodations for students who are pregnant or parenting, (3) adjust eligibility rules for certain scholarship programs (including American Indian Scholars), and (4) repeal an existing statewide evaluation related to a different program. It also clarifies that colleges and the University of Minnesota should implement these changes, with the University of Minnesota specifically requested to comply.

Key Provisions at a Glance

• Strengthens rights and accommodations for pregnant and parenting students.
• Establishes formal definitions for “pregnant or parenting student” and related conditions.
• Requires institutions to offer reasonable modifications and supports (leave options, makes up missed work, access to materials, early registration) without penalizing students for pregnancy or parenting duties.
• Requires an anti-discrimination policy specifically addressing pregnancy and parenting, including clear contact information for a Title IX coordinator.
• Expands annual reporting and data collection on a wide range of student aid programs, with detailed demographic and outcome data.

Rights, Protections, and Accommodations for Pregnant and Parenting Students

• Pregnant or parenting students may not be forced to take a leave, withdraw, limit studies, switch majors, or drop participation in courses solely because of pregnancy or parenting.
• Institutions must provide reasonable modifications, including health-related accommodations (e.g., staying away from hazardous areas), and must treat pregnancy-related needs similarly to temporary medical conditions.
• Institutions must allow medically necessary leaves without impacting the student’s fundamental course outcomes and must permit make-up work, extended time for assignments, and access to lecture materials and recordings for excused absences.
• If a student has a longer medical leave policy, the policy must be available to pregnant/parenting students.
• Institutions must allow excused absences and provide accommodations for parenting-related health appointments, with no reduction in benefits or services compared to students with temporary medical conditions.
• Pregnant or parenting students may take a leave of absence when medically necessary and return in good academic standing if possible; early registration should be available for pregnant/parenting students.

Definitions

• Parenting student: a student who is the parent, legal guardian, or a person who has a dependent child under 18.
• Pregnancy or related conditions: defined for purposes of applying these accommodations.
• Postsecondary institution: institutions under the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system or eligible private institutions on Minnesota campuses; the University of Minnesota is specifically asked to comply.

Policy on Discrimination and Accessibility

• Each postsecondary institution must adopt a policy addressing pregnancy and parenting discrimination.
• The policy must identify a Title IX coordinator as the point of contact for protections and modifications, and include their contact details.
• The policy should be posted on the institutions’ websites and shared annually with faculty, staff, and employees.

Reporting and Data Requirements (Aid Programs and Outcomes)

• Consolidated Student Aid Reporting (CSAR): The commissioner must annually report details on programs covered by this bill, including:
  • Total funds dispersed, total applicants and recipients
  • Average and total award amounts
  • Demographic and outcome data (race/ethnicity, gender, income, family type, dependency status, etc.)
  • Retention and completion rates
  • Average debt at exit/graduation and time to degree
  • Data by aid program, institution, and aid year
• Several specific programs and sections are updated to require ongoing reporting, including:
  • Stipends for certain programs (136A.091): eligibility criteria and annual reporting of recipients and outcomes
  • State aid grants (136A.121): general eligibility and annual reporting requirements
  • Foster grants (136A.1241): anonymized annual reports on number of recipients and retention/graduation data
  • Child care grants (136A.125): eligibility criteria, continuing eligibility, and annual reporting
  • Teacher candidate and licensure programs (136A.1274 and 136A.1275): reporting on eligible applicants, awards, licensure areas, and shortages; includes data on rural/employment outcomes
  • North Star Promise scholarship (136A.1465): preliminary report due 2025 and annual reports with participation and outcomes
• Data must be disaggregated by relevant factors (institution, aid year, race/ethnicity, gender, income, family type, dependency status, etc.) and may include additional outcome indicators the commissioner deems relevant.

Timing and Compliance Details

• Some reporting requirements specify annual deadlines (e.g., February 15 of each year; January 15 for certain reports).
• The University of Minnesota is specifically requested to comply with newly described requirements.
• Several sections require annual or ongoing reporting to legislative committees with jurisdiction over higher education, with data intended to inform program effectiveness and student outcomes.

Repeals and Related Changes

• Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 124D.09 subdivision 10a (a portion of the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act), removing that specific statewide evaluation requirement.
• In general, the bill consolidates and expands reporting across multiple aid programs and creates stronger protections for pregnant and parenting students.

Overall Impact

• Students who are pregnant or parenting would gain clearer protections, accommodations, and access to needed supports (leave options, assignments and exam accommodations, and early course registration) while maintaining academic progress.
• American Indian Scholars program eligibility is refined to emphasize membership and enrollment status with progress requirements.
• Higher education institutions must provide clearer discrimination protections and Title IX support for pregnancy/parenting issues.
• State higher education programs would be subject to more comprehensive, standardized reporting and data sharing, improving accountability and transparency of financial aid programs and student outcomes.
• A statewide evaluation related to a separate option program (Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act) is repealed, reducing the number of required annual evaluations in that area.

Implementation Considerations

• Institutions will need to adjust policies and student services to implement pregnancy/parenting accommodations consistently.
• Reporting systems will need to collect and disaggregate new data, potentially increasing data management work for colleges and universities.
• The University of Minnesota and other public colleges/universities will be coordinating with the Office of Higher Education to ensure compliance and data reporting.

Relevant sections (for quick reference) - American Indian Scholars program eligibility - Definitions of parenting student and pregnancy-related accommodations - Rights, modifications, and accommodations for pregnancy/parenting students - Anti-discrimination policy with Title IX contact requirements - Consolidated Student Aid Reporting (CSAR) and program-wide data reporting - Stipends, grants, child care grants, foster grants, and North Star Promise reporting - Teacher candidates, licensure shortage areas, and related reporting - Repeal of a provision within the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act

Relevant Terms pregnant student, parenting student, pregnancy-related conditions, reasonable modifications, excused absence, medical leave, early registration, Title IX coordinator, discrimination policy, postsecondary institution, University of Minnesota, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, foster grants, child care grants, North Star Promise, licensure shortage areas, teacher candidates, data reporting, consolidated student aid reporting, aid recipients, average award amount, retention rates, completion rates, race/ethnicity, gender, income, family type, dependency status, debt at exit, time to completion, American Indian Scholars, American Indian Tribe, Canadian First Nation, Minnesota Tribal Nation, medical accommodations, sick leave, instructional materials, course recordings, make-up assignments, housing of policies.

Note: This summary emphasizes the bill’s stated purpose and key provisions in accessible language and highlights terms that are central to understanding its impact. If you’d like, I can tailor this to a shorter version or a quick two-page briefing for a specific audience (students, university staff, or policymakers).