State lawmakers are considering making a portion of mandatory student fees at public universities optional, in an effort to make college more affordable.
How much would it take off the total tab if the bill were approved?
An analysis of tuition and fee data for Minnesota's public two-year and four-year schools shows that, on average, it might cut about 11 percent of in-state students' bills, or maybe $600 a year.
The bill, currently making its way through the House, would only cover fees for "non-instructional student programs, activities, groups or services," so the actual amount that students would save could be less.
The data used for this story were provided by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. The data included a single number for fees charged to all students, but doesn't include college- or department-specific fees that some students must pay. The data break down how much of the fees were for instructional versus non-instructional.
At the University of Minnesota, students pay, on average, about $1,700 annually in fees, about 12 percent of the total tab.
Separate data from the University of Minnesota show about $864 of that amount goes to non-instructional things like student groups, health services and recreation centers.
At other Minnesota institutions of higher learning, the percentage of the total tab that goes to fees varies from place to place.