A large contingent of Gustavus students trekked to St. Paul on March 14 to help convince state legislators to keep making Minnesota colleges more affordable. The annual Day at the Capitol event—a return to a format that hadn’t happened since before the pandemic—saw 46 Gustie undergraduates fan out across the complex to advocate for the Minnesota State Grant, discuss other pressing issues with their elected representatives, and preview potential career paths.
The Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) organized the event, which invited students from Gustavus and other member schools to share their experiences with the State Grant, which helps students from low- and middle-income families pay for eligible colleges in Minnesota. More than one-third of Gustavus students receive the Grant, and lawmakers are currently debating how much to allocate toward it.
The MPCC tried, whenever possible, to have students meet with their hometown elected officials and provided students with guidelines and data—in addition to their personal stories—that show how beneficial the program is. The MPCC’s goal is to get lawmakers to approve $60.3 million in annual funding, along with a one-time grant of $8.3 million from the state’s $17 billion budget surplus, which would lower eligible students’ share of higher ed costs from 50% to 42% while qualifying more than 3,800 additional students for the grants.
The Gustavus group was by far the largest among the participating schools. The College also hosted a gathering at the end of the day for Gustavus students to pick the brains of more than 15 Gustie alumni from a variety of professions who chatted with the students about career goals and options.
Earlier in the day, State Rep. Jeff Brand (DFL-18A, which includes Saint Peter) spent nearly an hour with about a dozen of the students, learning how they’ve benefitted from the State Grant. “This program is so important to all of us, because even though the Gustavus price tag might be high, all of the grants and scholarships like these really make it affordable,” said Gabby Lavan ’23.
Chloe Keller ’24, who’s from Wisconsin, pointed out the ways the State Grant indirectly benefits students like her. “Even though I’m not eligible for it as an out-of-state student, Gustavus being able to use State Grant funds for in-state students frees up other grants for students like me,” she said. “And students who graduate from college in Minnesota are more likely to stay, which helps the state economy in the long run.” Rep. Brand pledged his support for the bill (HR 1912), which also added as an author Rep. Kristin Bahner ’95 (DFL-37B)—one of two Gustie alums in the state house along with Rep. Samantha Vang ’16 (DFL-38B)—after Bahner met with President Bergman earlier in the day.
Brand invited the students in his meeting to ask him about anything, and the Gusties obliged. Abby Joy Neptun ’24 asked for his support on the proposed amendment that would codify equal rights for women in the Minnesota constitution. (Bahner is a co-author of the House version of the proposal, which is a state-based revival of the ERA movement from the 1970s that sought to establish these rights nationwide.) “This would enable women to have equal pay in their jobs and the ability to be seen as equal under the law within the constitution itself,” Neptun said. “So, I would just ask for your support in that,” to which Brand replied, “You’ve got it; you don’t even have to twist my arm for that one.”
The students discussed an array of issues with Brand, including making technical and two-year colleges more affordable; the climate crisis as it pertains to Minnesota’s energy needs and environmental assets, and to man-made chemicals like what was spilled in the recent East Palestine, Ohio train derailment; transportation and workforce developments; and the banning of books and outlawing of gender-affirming medical care that’s happening in other states.
Between this meeting with Rep. Brand and another with State Senator Nick Frentz (DFL-18), the Gusties debriefed with all the Day at the Capitol students, to recap the meetings with MPCC officials and determine where more lobbying on the State Grant might be needed. Later in the afternoon, Gustavus students capped off the productive day by doing round robin-style sessions with College alumni who talked about their work in professions such as education, public policy, law, human rights advocacy, and others. This is often the most valued and memorable part of the Day at the Capitol event, and the entire experience confirmed, once again, the adage that Gusties show up—and shine.
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