Minnesota Postsecondary Child Care Grant

About this scholarship

Minnesota's Postsecondary Child Care Grant helps eligible undergraduate and graduate student parents pay existing out-of-pocket child-care costs while they attend class, work, or study. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education currently links applicants to the secure MNAid Student Portal. The maximum is $6,500 per eligible child during a nine-month academic year, subject to actual expenses, provider-rate caps, enrollment, Student Aid Index, other assistance, and available funding. Summer attendance can add an eligible term, and some schools may increase the maximum by 10 percent for higher infant-care costs until a child reaches 18 months. After completing the online application, the student must print it, have the child-care provider complete Section B, and submit the complete form to the campus financial-aid office. The campus determines eligibility and the award. Applicants must already be paying for care, complete the FAFSA or Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application, and report child-care changes within ten days. Not every Minnesota institution participates, and the program has no single statewide closing date, so students should confirm participation and available funds with their school and apply promptly.

Eligibility

• Be a Minnesota resident student
• Have a child age 12 or younger, or age 14 or younger if the child has a disability
• Be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled for at least one credit at a participating Minnesota institution
• Already pay out-of-pocket child-care expenses at the time of application
• Be in good academic standing, make satisfactory academic progress, and not be in default on a student loan
• Not receive full-time Child Care Assistance, Minnesota Family Investment Program benefits, or another source covering the same child-care costs
• Have received the grant for fewer than ten semesters or the equivalent, subject to the military-service exception
• Complete the FAFSA or Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application and submit the provider-completed application to the campus financial-aid office