Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to address fraudulent enrollment in Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. The focus is on preventing individuals from enrolling in online courses fraudulently to access financial aid, campus information technology systems, and student support services.

Main Provisions

• Creation of a Working Group: The bill mandates the formation of an enrollment fraud working group by the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

• Development of Policies: This group is tasked with developing comprehensive policies and procedures specifically designed to combat and prevent fraudulent enrollment activities in online courses.

• Reporting Requirement: The bill requires that the working group submit a report on their findings and recommendations to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees that oversee higher education. The deadline for this report is January 15, 2026.

• Representation in the Working Group: The group will include representatives from various stakeholders, including student associations, college faculty, the Inter Faculty Organization, professional employees, and administrative and service faculty. Additional members may be added as deemed necessary.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill introduces a structured approach within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system to proactively address and mitigate the risks associated with fraudulent enrollment in online courses. This involves collaboration across various educational and administrative bodies to safeguard financial and information resources.

Relevant Terms

enrollment fraud, online courses, financial aid, information technology systems, student support services, working group, policy development, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, higher education.