Minnesota State Grant

Scholarship Sponsored by Minnesota Office of Higher Education

Here’s a clearer, teacher-friendly version you can use to explain Minnesota State Grants to students.

Quick summary
State Grants help Minnesota students from low- and moderate-income families pay for college at eligible Minnesota institutions. They’re for undergraduate study and are need-based; you must reapply every year.

Who is eligible
- Minnesota residents who are either high school graduates (or have an equivalent credential) or are at least 17 years old.
- Must be enrolled as an undergraduate for at least three credits at one of the more than 130 eligible Minnesota colleges or universities.

Important disqualifiers and how to fix them
- If you’re in default on a federal student loan or more than 30 days behind on child support owed to a public agency, you’re not eligible. You can regain eligibility, however, if you set up an approved repayment plan and make a series of on-time monthly payments. (See the Minnesota Office of Higher Education or your school’s financial aid office for details on reestablishing eligibility.)
- Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree are not eligible.

How long you can receive the grant
- You may receive State Grants for up to eight full-time semesters (or the equivalent), which equals twelve quarters. In a single fiscal year, that looks like up to four consecutive full-time quarters or three consecutive semesters.
- Students who withdraw for active military service or for a major medical illness (while under a physician’s care) after December 31, 2002, may receive one additional term of eligibility.
- Renewal requires making satisfactory academic progress and continuing to demonstrate financial need as defined by state law.

Where you can use a State Grant
- Grants may be used only at eligible Minnesota institutions: state universities, the University of Minnesota, public community and technical colleges, nursing and health professions schools, private colleges, and private career institutions in Minnesota.
- State Grants cannot be used at out-of-state schools. Minnesota does, however, have tuition reciprocity agreements with several states and one Canadian province that might lower costs for students attending some out-of-state institutions.

Next steps / who to contact
- Reapply each year. If you have questions about eligibility, satisfactory academic progress, or reestablishing eligibility after a loan default, contact the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend or the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.