MANKATO — The cynic would suggest that, while the south Ballroom of Minnesota State University’s student union was surprisingly full with more than 150 students, that it was the free pizza — not the political candidates — that pulled in the crowds.

The pizza was good. No doubt about that. But if it were just the pizza, wouldn’t the kids have ducked out of there as soon as the last swallow of pepperoni slid down their throats?

Well, whatever the reason, the Italian pie or the Minnesota politicking, most students hung around Tuesday in the Centennial Student Union ballroom and heard what Republican and Democratic candidates from the Mankato area had to say about higher education.

Elected office hopefuls in attendance included Republican Mark Piepho and Democrat Kathy Sheran, both of whom are vying for Senate District 23, and Republican Luke Robinson and Democrat Kathy Sheran, who are vying for House District 23B.

Tuition, of course, was the first and most pressing issue discussed. Since the late 1990s, tuition has risen nearly about 90 percent.

Brynaert: “I would seek a dialogue with (the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system) and see what it would take to freeze tuition but maintain current levels of service.”

Robinson: “We need to put some funding back in so you’re not seeing a 15 percent increase every year.” Robinson also proposed a plan for students to be able to lock in a tuition rate that wouldn’t change for four years.

Sheran, noting that state appropriations for higher education have been cut, said, “I think that’s unacceptable and I think that’s wrong.”

Piepho: “Education and higher education are among my top priorities.” But, he added, radical changes to funding may not be realistic. “People need to realize these things don’t happen overnight.”

All candidates were asked about the higher education funding reforms offered by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Democratic challenger Mike Hatch.

Pawlenty’s plan would offer two free years of college for students who graduate in the top quarter of their class, and two more free years for those who pursue careers in science or math. Hatch’s plan would roll tuition back for everyone.

Predictably, both Democrats were not thrilled with Pawlenty’s plan for its exclusion of three fourths of the students in high schools.

Sheran: “The best way to assist students is to make sure every student has access to higher education ... It is the state’s obligation to make sure all students have access.”

Brynaert: “I’m not terribly fond of either proposal.” She added that, while Pawlenty has said he’ll use the state’s budget surplus to help fund his program, she’s not certain the surplus even exists. Inflation hasn’t been factored in, and until it is, no one should be making plans to spend it. She also said Pawlenty’s plan doesn’t address tuition, and does nothing for current students.

Piepho objected to Hatch’s plan to fund his proposal partly by closing off tax loopholes. “We need to be careful with loopholes,” he said, and suggested the amount of money gained by closing loopholes isn’t easily predicted.

Robinson agreed, saying closing tax loopholes would equate to nothing more than double taxing business. Doing that, he said, could cause those businesses to leave the state.

They also addressed textbook costs. Robinson suggested, and Piepho agreed with, a textbook rental system that would save students tons of money; Brynaert worried that meddling with the textbook system should be done only in such a way that preserves academic freedom and instructor choice; Sheran said the state should fund an analysis of the issue to find out the best ways to move forward with a plan to save students money.

Student Nolan Chenevert enjoyed the chance to hear the candidates, especially Brynaert and Robinson, whom he knew nothing about until Tuesday.

“It was better than I expected,” said Chenevert, a social studies major from North Branch who calls himself a conservative.

Student Natalie Perry, a senior majoring in English and political science, also liked what she heard.

“I really liked the part about renewable resources,” she said.