The Minnesota State Board of Trustees approved $10 million in transitional funding for St. Cloud State University on Oct. 14.
The funding, which also allocated $4.8 million to Bemidji State University, was approved for financially challenged institutions to support core university operations as they continue to work toward long-term financial sustainability.
“We recognize that this funding represents a significant commitment by Minnesota State at a difficult time across the system, and we will be responsible stewards of that investment,” said SCSU President Dr. Gregory Tomso. “This support follows years of difficult structural action at SCSU; I’m proud of SCSU’s faculty and staff for taking on this hard work and for finding the most efficient ways to serve our students and community.”
Since 2010, SCSU has reduced its workforce by approximately 40 percent and its physical footprint by nearly 20 percent. Since 2023, 189 academic credentials have been discontinued or suspended admission.
The University has also rebuilt its enrollment, transfer, retention and student-success operations while continuing to invest strategically in areas of student and workforce demand.
“SCSU today is leaner, more efficient and more strategically focused than it has been in many years,” Tomso said. “This temporary support will help ensure that we can continue serving our students, our region, and the state as we have for more than 150 years.”
St. Cloud State is the second largest university in Minnesota State with over 9,000 students. It remains a critical educational, workforce and community anchor for Central Minnesota, with an economic impact of nearly $600 million.
“Chancellor Olson has made clear that the financial pressures facing SCSU are not unique to our university,” Tomso said. “With approximately one in four Minnesota State institutions expected to trigger the system’s cash financial-health indicators, the challenges before us are larger than any single campus. We support the Strategic Realignment announced by the Chancellor and Board, and we are committed to working with them and our system partners to build a sustainable future for Minnesota State.”
