Summer Academic Enrichment Program Resources
The Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP) provides need-based stipends to help Minnesota students in grades 3–11 attend approved academic summer camps. Stipends can cover part of the program cost, up to $1,000 per student. To be eligible for a stipend, there must be a charge to the student to attend the camp. Approved program sponsors—postsecondary institutions and nonprofit educational organizations—play a key role in making these opportunities possible.
We are not currently accepting applications for new SAEP program sponsors. All current program sponsors are approved through Summer 2027. The next application window for prospective and continuing program sponsors will open in January 2028.
Students will apply for the stipend directly through the camps listed on the student-facing page.
- Request for Program Sponsor Applications Released: February 9, 2026
- Sponsor Application Deadline: February 27, 2026
- Notification to Approved Sponsors: March 20, 2026
- MNAid Opens to Enter Possible Programs: March 23, 2026
- Deadline for Entering All Programs into MNAid: April 9, 2026
- Notification of Approved or Denied MNAid-Entered Programs: April 10, 2026
- Student Applications (entered by sponsors into MNAid) Open: April 16, 2026, at 9 AM
- Student Awarding Begins: April 28, 2026
Eligible sponsors include:
- A Minnesota postsecondary institution (public or private, accredited, degree‑granting, and located in Minnesota), or
- A nonprofit educational organization (incorporated, financially stable, and without significant audit findings).
We are not currently accepting applications for new SAEP program sponsors. All current sponsors are approved through Summer 2027. The next application window for prospective and continuing sponsors will open in January 2028.
- To be considered an eligible Summer Academic Enrichment Program, a camp must:
- Focus on academic enrichment as its primary purpose in one or more core curricular areas, including English/language arts, humanities, social studies, science, mathematics, fine arts, performing arts, or world languages and culture.
- Not offer postsecondary credit.
- Not provide remedial instruction.
- Must have a charge for the student to participate.
- Awards will never be more than what the student is charged.
See the 2026 Summer Academic Enrichment Program Request for Application PDF document under ‘Resources’ below for additional details.
Students may receive up to $1,000 to help cover the cost of attending an approved Summer Academic Enrichment Program. The stipend will never exceed the actual amount the student is charged to attend the camp.
If a student does not attend the camp, no stipend will be issued to the sponsor.
Available Funding:
- 2026 Funds Available: $242,500
- 2027 Funds Available: $242,500
How Funds Are Allocated
- To ensure equitable access across approved programs, SAEP funds are distributed in two parts:
- 50% Reserved Funding: Half of the annual funds available will be divided equally among all approved program sponsors and reserved for their student stipends.
Example: If 20 sponsors are approved, each would receive approximately $6,062 of the reserved $121,250. - 50% General Pool: The remaining half is awarded based on student application date, after reserved funds have been used.
Reserved funds are held until a deadline set by OHE. Any unused reserved funds are returned to the general pool and made available to other student applicants on a first-come first-served basis.
We are not currently accepting applications for new SAEP program sponsors. All current sponsors are approved through Summer 2027. This page will be updated January 2028 with further details for the next application window.
2026 Application Process for Sponsors:
Step 1: Complete the online SAEP Sponsor Application by February 27, 2026
Step 2: Submit required documentation (financial statements, nonprofit incorporation docs, etc.)
Step 3: Await review and notification by March 13, 2026
- Sponsor name and contact info
- Program/camp details (dates, grade levels, curriculum, instructional hours, cost, refund policy)
- Staff qualifications
- Demographic data from previous years
- Financial documentation for nonprofits (Form 990, audit, etc.)
Here are the summer camps approved to participate in the Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP) student stipends for Summer 2026 and Summer 2027:
- Augsburg University – Minnesota Urban Debate League
- Bakken Museum
- BestPrep
- Bethel University
- Concordia College
- Hamline University
- HealthForce Minnesota – Scrubs Camps
- MN Institute of Talented Youth
- MN Zej Zog
- St. Cloud State University
- University of St. Thomas
- Walker West Music Academy
- We As One
- Wolf Ridge
Program Sponsors: If your program’s URL is incorrect or needs updating, please contact Nichole.Andersen@state.mn.us with the correct URL. The same URL will be used for both the program sponsor website and student-facing website.