Minnesota State weighing plan to transfer money from two-year colleges to shore up struggling universities

Minnesota State is considering a plan to shift millions of dollars from its colleges to help two financially unstable universities – a move college presidents, students and employees condemned as the school system considers longer-term fixes to a growing financial crisis. 

The proposal, headed to the Board of Trustees for a final vote on Oct. 14, comes as the 270,000-student system grapples with broader budgetary distress that has officials weighing campus closures or mergers across its 26 colleges and seven universities. 

If approved, the proposal would allow the system to reallocate up to $25 million each year for the next four years — with reapproval required each spring...