HB 1003 Summary

• Appropriates $2.82 billion in general fund and special funds to the North Dakota university system for the 2019-21 biennium, including operations, capital assets, and building fund allocations across 14 institutions and the system office.

• Establishes the Midwestern Higher Education Compact to facilitate regional cooperation on higher education access, research, and student exchange programs among 12 midwestern states including North Dakota.

• Creates matching grant programs for University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University (up to $1.7 million each) and for other institutions (varying amounts) to support academic advancement projects funded by institutional foundations.

• Authorizes professional student exchange program participants in veterinary medicine, dentistry, and optometry to repay awards through Bank of North Dakota student loans, with repayment obligations waived for practitioners remaining in North Dakota for three years post-graduation.

• Limits resident student tuition increases to 4 percent annually for 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years unless the budget section approves higher increases.