Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students (EAPS) Grant
Improving college retention and completion for students experiencing unforeseen financial emergencies.
The Office of Higher Education administers the Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students (EAPS) Grant Program to foster postsecondary attendance and retention for low-income students by providing funding and resources to Minnesota colleges and universities with a demonstrable homeless population.
The Minnesota Legislature established the EAPS Grant Program in May 2017. Grant funds are intended to meet immediate student needs related to housing, food, and transportation that would otherwise prevent students from completing their term.
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is currently accepting proposals for the Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students Grant. Please review the FY26 EAPS Grant Request for Proposals before beginning the submission process.
Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. CT on May 8, 2025 through the secure online grants management system.
FY26 Application Timeline
- April 9th, 2025 (11:00 a.m. CT) - EAPS Grant Proposal Workshop
- April 28th, 2025 (4:00 p.m. CT) - Deadline for submitting technical questions
- May 2, 2025 - Online grants management system user registration deadline
- May 8th, 2025 (4:00 p.m. CT) - Proposal submission deadline
- July 24, 2025 - Award notices sent to applicants
- August 6, 2025 (10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT) - Mandatory grantee orientation (grantees will receive a virtual Microsoft Teams invitation after their award notice)
Institutions eligible for EAPS grant funding include private, non-profit postsecondary institutions and/or Tribally-affiliated postsecondary institutions with a demonstrable homeless population. Institutions are required to have a physical campus in the state of Minnesota.
The State of Minnesota defines “homeless” as any individual, unaccompanied youth or family that is without a permanent place to live that is fit for human habitation. By this definition, students who are doubling-up (staying with a friend or family member, i.e. “crashing” or “couch-surfing”) are considered homeless.
Colleges or universities can demonstrate that they serve students experiencing homelessness by submitting one of the following items:
- Recently-conducted research on the prevalence of student homelessness on their campus;
- Limited data collected as a part of other social service programs on campus (i.e. collecting participant information at a campus food shelf or student-parent center); or
- Summative reports that demonstrate the prevalence of homelessness among the population served.
If a college or university has not conducted any quantitative research around housing insecurity within their institution, OHE may consider their proposal if the institution submits a written commitment to conducting research on the prevalence of student homelessness on their campus within one calendar year. EAPS funds may not be used to support this research.
Funds awarded to postsecondary institutions must be used to administer an emergency grant program.
This may include:
- Funds paid to students
- Funds paid to third-parties on behalf of students
- Gift cards provided to students
The maximum allowable request per institution is $75,000 a year with a maximum grant amount of $150,000.
- Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Normandale Community College
- South Central College
- Pine Technical and Community College
- St. Cloud Technical and Community College
- Century College
- Red Lake Nation College
- Saint Paul College
- Dual Training Grant
- Dual Training Grant: Legal Cannabis Industry
- Hunger Free Campus Grants
- Inclusive Higher Education Grant
- Intervention for College Attendance Grant
- Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students (EAPS) Grant
- Concurrent Enrollment Grant
- Student Parent Support Initiative Grant
- Student Loan Debt Counseling Grant
- Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant
- Tomassoni ALS Research Grant
- Previous Competitive Grant Programs