Minnesota State Grant

About this scholarship

The Minnesota State Grant is need-based financial aid for Minnesota residents pursuing their first undergraduate certificate or degree at an eligible Minnesota institution. Award amounts are calculated individually from recognized tuition and fees, a state living-and-miscellaneous allowance, enrollment level, the FAFSA Student Aid Index or equivalent state-aid calculation, and other grant assistance. Because of that formula, the state does not promise one universal maximum award. The official page reports that recent average annual awards ranged from about $1,415 at public two-year colleges to $6,439 at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and private four-year colleges. Students normally apply by filing the FAFSA; eligible students who cannot complete the FAFSA use the Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application. Results are sent to participating Minnesota colleges, whose financial-aid offices calculate awards. The grant cannot be used at out-of-state schools. Applicants must meet Minnesota residency rules, attend an eligible institution, demonstrate financial need, and remain eligible for undergraduate aid. Beginning with the 2025-2026 year, the official deadline is the 30th day of the academic term, not the September 24 date shown by some scholarship directories. Students should file as early as possible and confirm their institution’s term date.

Eligibility

• Meet Minnesota resident-student requirements
• Pursue a first undergraduate certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree
• Attend an eligible Minnesota institution that participates in the State Grant Program
• Demonstrate financial need under the state award formula
• Complete the FAFSA or, if eligible, the Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application
• Meet federal and state financial-aid eligibility and satisfactory academic progress requirements
• Use the award only at an eligible Minnesota institution
• Apply no later than the 30th day of the applicable academic term