Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Skip Navigation Links > >

Minnesota Agencies

Information on Minnesota State Agencies, Boards, Task Forces, and Commissions

Compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library


Office of Higher Education

Also known as:
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
OHE
Active dates:2005 -
Function:

The Office of Higher Education is a cabinet-level state agency providing students with financial aid programs and information to help them gain access to postsecondary education. The agency serves as the state's clearinghouse for data, research and analysis on postsecondary enrollment, financial aid, finance and trends. The OHE publishes reports on enrollments in Minnesota postsecondary institutions.

History:

Name was changed to Office of Higher Education from Minnesota Office of Higher Education under Minn. Laws 2014, Chapter 149.

Complete History of name changes:
Minn. Laws 1965 c 809 s 32 subd 1 - Established the Minnesota Liaison and Facilities Commission for Higher Education.

Minn. Laws 1967 c 615 s 1 (H. F. No. 818) - Changed the name of the liaison and facilities commission for higher education to the Minnesota higher education coordinating commission.

Minn. Laws 1975 c 271 s 6 - Changed the Higher education coordinating commission to higher education coordinating board.

Minn. Laws 1995 c 212 art 3 s 9 - Abolished the higher education coordinating board and transferred certain duties; created the higher education services office and the higher education services council.

Minn. Laws 2005 c 107 - Changed the name from Higher Education Services Office (HESO) to Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Minn. Laws 2014 c 149 s 3 - Changed the name of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education to the Office of Higher Education.

In 2013, Governor Mark Dayton bestowed the title of "Commissioner" on the Director of the Office of Higher Education so that the members of his cabinet would all have the same title. 2013 Minn. Laws Chap. 99 Art. 2 Sec. 5 made the title change.

Agency heads:

Director/Commissioner:

Robert Poch (May 1996-2003?)
Susan Heegaard (February 2004-February 2009)
David Metzen (March 2009-?)
Sheila Wright (January 2011-September 2011)
Susan Von Mosch (interim)
Larry Pogemiller (October 2011-January 2019)
Dennis Olson, Jr. (January 2019- )

Note: The Legislative Reference Library may have additional reports on or by this group available through our catalog.
Documents/Articles:
News clippings and documents. Agencies Notebook Collection, 2006-2019.
Record last updated: 11/06/2023
 

All information on this group from the Library’s collection of agency notebooks has been digitized. These materials are incorporated into the “documents/articles” section of the record. Please contact a librarian with any questions. The Minnesota Agencies database is a work in progress.

Agencies image