Student Loan Reimbursement Campaign

Overview

• Minnesotans, including MAPE members, are taking on more student loan debt in order to access jobs.
• Student debt is no longer just a burden-it's become a barrier to the American Dream.
• When loan payments were paused during COVID, MAPE members were given a new ability to investment in themselves and their families. Now that loan payments are back, MAPE members, and thousands of Minnesotans, must make difficult financial decisions that impact their work and in their personal lives.
• State government needs to be competitive with the private sector with one out of three businesses offering some type of student loan support.

While MAPE has made progress in getting support from the state to help with student loan support, we need more support from management. If you are (i.e., MAPE members) interested in this issue and want to get involved, please complete this form to get involved.

What has changed in the latest contract

• The student loan reimbursement pilot has been made permanent and moved into the main body of the contract. However, it is up to each agency if they would like to implement the program.
• The reimbursement amounts remain the same as in the pilot program, and granting reimbursement is still at the discretion of the employer. Student loan reimbursement payments shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar year per employee, up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in total payments.
• The documentation provision was fixed to clarify it is a reimbursement program, not a matching program

What is happening now?

• Many agency's management are dragging their feet in developing processes to make student loan reimbursements permanent.
• MAPE members are not getting clear directions on how to apply for loan reimbursement
• Therefore, Meet and Confer Teams are working on getting this program implemented in their agency.

Tracker

See which agencies have implemented the program and which are currently working towards implementation.

Agency Member/Group Contact Status Revenue Carolyn Murphy Implemented PUC Jason Bonnett Implemented DOT Theresa Chapman and Gabe Perkins (M&C) Implemented - starting Oct. PCA Kaity Taylor (M&C) Getting close to implementation Commerce Meet and Confer Beginning work DHS Christine Retkwa In-progress - meeting with management DLI Alexis Lohse (No M&C) In-progress - meeting with management Admin Ajeet Yadav In-progress - management currently unwilling BWSR Melissa King In-progress - management currently unwilling DOC Tabitha Schacht In-progress - management currently unwilling MDH Lydia Fess In-progress - management currently unwilling

Toolkit

• Talking points
• Zoom/Teams Background
• Buttons (Ask your Meet & Confer Chair)

Do you want the Student Loan Reimbursement Program available at your agency?

Great! Please complete this form.

If you have questions, please reach out to your agency's Meet and Confer Team.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.