Legislators are considering many important investments, among them funding for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, which of course includes our three Riverland campuses in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna. We need to urge our legislators to help all of us meet the challenge of educating all Minnesotans and fill the regional workforce gap by moving the funding allocation more toward 50/50 funding from the state. Riverland understands that a large part of the 50 percent non-state funding must be through tuition and public-private partnerships.