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North Star Promise FAQs

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The North Star Promise will begin to offer awards in Fall 2024, and on an ongoing basis. All public Minnesota higher education institutions and Tribal Colleges will include North Star Promise funds in their financial aid packages for eligible students and families.

To apply, you must submit a completed FAFSA Form or Minnesota Dream Act application. You'll find program details, eligibility requirements, eligible colleges and universities, and other essential information on the North Star Promise page.

If you have any questions that are not answered below or on the North Star Promise page, contact us at: NorthStarPromise.OHE@state.mn.us

If you are a member of the media and have questions about the program, email OHE Director of Communications Keith Hovis: keith.hovis@state.mn.us

How do I apply for North Star Promise?

To apply for North Star Promise, complete the FAFSA or Minnesota Dream Act application. If you are eligible, the eligible college or university at which you are enrolled will communicate your eligibility and award information through their standard financial aid awarding process. There is no additional application.

How much money can I receive?

There is not a limit on the maximum term, yearly, or lifetime dollar amount of an award you can receive. The amount of your award is based on the "last-dollar" calculation of your eligibility on a term-by-term basis. Your term award can be up to 100% of the amount charged in tuition and fees per term, minus all other sources of gift aid you receive.

Students earning a 2-year degree can receive the award for up to 4 full-time semesters or the equivalent. Students earning a 4-year degree can receive the award for up to 8 full-time semesters or the equivalent.

How is the award determined?

How are students notified about their North Star Promise funds?

What does "last - dollar" mean?

Before calculating your award, "last-dollar" programs consider any other sources of gift aid funding that you receive. "Gift aid" is financial aid that does not require repayment, such as scholarships, grants, stipends, third-party payments and tuition waivers. Loans and work study are not sources of gift aid. The North Star Promise program is a commitment that eligible Minnesotans will have their tuition and fees paid for through sources of aid that they do not need to pay back. The goal of a "last-dollar" awarding strategy is to fulfil the promise of a tuition and fees free pathway for as many eligible students as possible by partnering with existing aid sources.

What does fees mean?

Is the North Star Promise funding renewable? If so, for how long?

As a last-dollar award, this award is calculated on a term-by-term basis. If new sources of gift aid are awarded to you, North Star Promise funds will be recalculated. You must also complete the FAFSA or MN Dream Act application every year. Each year, the FAFSA and MN Dream Act applications will request updated federal tax information. It is possible that you could qualify for the program one year, and then not the next, depending upon changes in the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from year to year. You must continue to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards at your school.

There is no maximum length of time for which you can receive the award. However, students earning a 2-year degree can receive the award for up to 4 full-time semesters or the equivalent. Students earning a 4-year degree can receive the award for up to 8 full-time semesters or the equivalent.

Are students attending private nonprofit colleges eligible?

Students attending private colleges are not currently eligible to receive North Star Promise funds. That being said, private nonprofit colleges are great options for Minnesota students, and attending one can be more affordable than you think. In fact, 95 percent of first-year students at nonprofit colleges receive grants and scholarships. Many students who have a tuition-free option at a public institution will also have tuition-free options at one or more nonprofit colleges. Explore how nonprofit colleges are within reach, including more about the financial aid at specific nonprofit colleges: https://www.mnprivatecolleges.org/student-aid

Can I be eligible for North Star Promise, but not receive an award?

Yes. If you meet all of the eligibility requirements, but the total of your other sources of "gift aid" already covers the amount of your tuition and fees, you will not receive a North Star Promise award. This is because the program is a commitment that eligible students will have the amount of their tuition and fees covered by sources of aid that do not need to be repaid.

Is there an age restriction on the North Star Promise program?

Are family size or household size considered in the North Star Promise eligibility requirements?

In order to qualify, do I have to be a new, first-time student for 2024-25 school year?

Will I have to repay North Star Promise funds?

Why is the State of Minnesota offering this program?

The State of Minnesota is committed to creating more opportunities to learn and thrive for Minnesotans because we recognize that education is the foundation of our state's economic strength. North Star Promise provides a path to essential skills and knowledge for the careers that will define the future of business and the economy. Many students and families are struggling to meet the costs of continuing education, making this more important now than ever. North Star Promise is a reflection of our mission to support the pursuit of higher education by every Minnesotan, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

Will North Star Promise Plus (NSP+) continue being offered?

In fall 2024 and spring 2025, a North Star Promise eligible student could be awarded a North Star Promise Plus award in the amount of 15% of their Pell Grant received. Based on funding projections for the program, for 2025-2026, the Pell Grant match for North Star Promise Plus is set to 0% meaning there will be no NSP+ awards for this award year.

What does family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) mean?

The Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) comes from the Federal 1040 Income Tax Return, specifically line 11 of the form 1040. The first year of the program is the 2024-2025 academic year and the corresponding FAFSA or Minnesota dream Act application asks about prior, prior year AGI. In other words, the AGI from 2022.

Dependent students will have the AGI of their parent(s), and stepparent if applicable, considered for the program's family AGI threshold of below $80,000. The AGI of dependent students will not be considered. When parents are divorced, separated or never married, and do not live together, the parent who provides more financial support to the student should be the parent of record for the FAFSA or Minnesota Dream Act. This is the parent whose income will be reviewed when determining eligibility for North Star Promise. If the parent who provides more financial support has remarried as of the date the FAFSA or Minnesota Dream Act is filed, the stepparent's AGI will also be taken into account when determining eligibility.

Independent students will have the AGI of the student considered for program eligibility. If the student is married, the student and spouse's combined AGI must be below $80,000 in order to be eligible for North Star Promise funds.

You can review what makes a student either dependent or independent here.

My parents are divorced; whose income will be considered for the family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $80,000?

When parents are divorced, separated or never married, and do not live together, only one parent must complete the FAFSA/Minnesota Dream Act application.

For 2024-2025, the first year of North Star Promise, this will be the parent who provides more financial support to the student. Starting in the 2024-2025 academic year, the FAFSA/Minnesota Dream Act will no longer take into account which household the student lived with most. If the parent who provides more financial support has remarried as of the date the FAFSA/Minnesota Dream Act is filed, the stepparent's income, assets and dependents must also be reported.

Dependent students will have the AGI of their parent(s), and stepparent if applicable, considered for the program's family AGI threshold of below $80,000. The AGI of dependent students will not be considered.

I am 21 and live independently on my own, will my parent(s) income still be considered for the family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $80,000?

State financial aid programs, including the North Star Promise, follow the federal definitions for what makes a student independent or dependent in terms of financial aid. You can review what makes a student either dependent or independent here.

If you are considered dependent for FAFSA purposes, then you will need to include parent tax information on the FAFSA. Dependent students will have the AGI of their parent(s), and stepparent if applicable, considered for the program's family AGI threshold of below $80,000. The AGI of dependent students will not be considered.

If you are considered independent for FAFSA purposes, then you are not required to include parent tax information on the FAFSA. Independent students will have the AGI of the student considered for program eligibility. If the student is married, the student and spouse's combined AGI must be below $80,000 in order to be eligible for North Star Promise funds.

I am an independent and married; whose income will be considered for the family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $80,000?

The FAFSA/Minnesota Dream Act application will ask: Are you married as of today? If you are married on the day you file your application, then you will need to report the income and assets for yourself and your spouse. Independent, married students will have the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of both the student and spouse considered for program eligibility. To be eligible, the student and spouse's combined family AGI must be below $80,000.

Is there a reduced benefit for people with AGI just over $80,000, or is it an "all or nothing kind of thing"?

The program criteria of a family adjusted gross income below $80,000 is set in statutory law based on the median family income in the state of Minnesota. Unfortunately, there is not a gradually reducing benefit for those over the threshold.

However, if a family has experienced a change in income, that can be considered by the financial aid office where the student enrolls. For example, the 2024-2025 financial aid application asks about income from 2022. If a family experiences a change in income, sometimes called a special circumstance, the family can ask the financial aid office for a professional judgement to consider more current income, rather than income from 2022. Also, while North Star Promise does not have a reduced benefit or award for AGIs over the threshold, you may qualify for other federal, state or school-based financial aid that can help cover expenses and should still complete either the FAFSA or Minnesota Dream Act Application.

Given the high wages for most jobs right now, my 18-year-old dependent child is considering taking a gap year to work, earn money and help out at home. I am a single parent and my income is well below the $80,000 AGI. (Full question in dropdown.)

Full questions: Given the high wages for most jobs right now, my 18-year-old dependent child is considering taking a gap year to work, earn money and help out at home. I am a single parent and my income is well below the $80,000 AGI. Once she starts college, her income will drop significantly. Will her income be counted when considering her for the North Star Promise Scholarship?

Dependent students will have the AGI of their parent(s), and stepparent if applicable, considered for the program's family AGI threshold of below $80,000. The AGI of dependent students will not be considered. The first year of the program is the 2024-2025 academic year and the corresponding FAFSA or Minnesota Dream Act application will ask about prior, prior year Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). In other words, the AGI from 2022.

I am a non-tax filer because my income is so low that I am not required to file taxes. Can I be considered for the North Star Promise Scholarship?

Are a student or family's assets (529 plans, retirement accounts, savings account, investments) considered in the financial eligibility requirements for North Star Promise?

I already have an Associate Degree, but I am considering returning to school to earn my Bachelor's Degree. As long as I meet all the other eligibility requirements, would I be eligible for the North Star Promise Scholarship program?

I am enrolled in an Associate Degree program that requires 74 credits for completion. Will the North Star Promise be expanded beyond the 60-credit limit for my program?

I earned an Associate Degree, but I do not have a baccalaureate degree. I have not attended college for quite some time, and my GPA is not the best so I don't think I can be admitted to a four-year school. Can I use the NSP to go back to school?

Right after high school I earned an Associate Degree, but I do not have a baccalaureate degree. I have not attended college for quite some time, and my GPA is not the best so I don't think I can be admitted to a four-year school. Can I use the North Star Promise to go back to school for a second Associate Degree?

Before self-selecting out of options, we would encourage you to speak with the Admissions Office at a four-year institution and explain your situation. Your assumption may not be true. However, to answer this question, as long as all eligibility criteria are met, the law does not prohibit students who have already received an Associate Degree from receiving funds under North Star Promise as they pursue a second Associate Degree.

Do I need to be in a certain major? Are specific fields, trades or degrees being prioritized?

At eligible institutions, are all programs eligible for North Star Promise?

No. Eligible institutions are all Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, all University of Minnesota campuses and all Tribal Colleges. However, an eligible institution may offer programs that are not eligible for Federal Title IV Aid and/or Minnesota financial aid. Typically, this is because the program length is too short to meet requirements for federal and/or state financial aid or is offered as a part of customized training, registered apprenticeship, or continuing education instead of a degree, diploma, or certificate program. That said, most programs offered by eligible institutions are eligible for North Star Promise. Check with your college or university if you have questions.

Are non-credit programs eligible for North Star Promise?

No, non-credit programs (such as those offered through customized training) are not eligible for North Star Promise. Additionally, Registered Apprenticeship is another debt-free post-secondary pathway. Registered Apprenticeships combine on the job learning, related classroom instruction, and result in an industry specific, nationally recognized credential. Registered Apprenticeships are available in many fields, including but not limited to construction and utilities, manufacturing, healthcare, education, agriculture. Learn more about Registered Apprenticeship at The Department of Labor and Industry's website.

Are certificate programs eligible for North Star Promise?

Can North Star Promise be used for study abroad?

Yes, North Star Promise will consider the cost of tuition and mandatory fees for the study abroad program in the award calculation; however, in order to be considered, the program's tuition and fees must be charged to the student by the eligible institution. For study abroad, North Star Promise will cover tuition up to the resident undergraduate rate, or the rate the student would have otherwise been charged if they would have remained on campus. Third party study abroad tuition charges will not be considered in the award calculation. Study abroad programs often have discretionary program fees that include airfare, excursion fees, health insurance charges, passport fees, etc. and these types of fees are not included as mandatory fees for the purposes of the North Star Promise program. Consult with the North Star Promise Program Administrator if you have questions about study abroad fees being included or excluded in the NSP award calculation.

Will North Star Promise program also cover the costs of tuition and fees for my minor program, in addition to my major?

Yes, the scholarship will pay for tuition and fees associated with a minor. The program does have credit-limits. Students earning a 2-year degree can receive the award for up to 4 full-time semesters or the equivalent. Students earning a 4-year degree can receive the award for up to 8 full-time semesters or the equivalent. A student is considered full-time if they are taking 15 or more credits per semester.

Does North Star Promise cover expenses such as housing and/or meals?

No, North Star Promise is a tuition and fees program, meaning it only pays for tuition and fees charges. Housing, food, transportation, books, and supplies are all items that North Star Promise does not cover. Students will need to budget for these expenses separately. Even if living on campus is required, North Star Promise does not cover housing expenses.

I borrowed loans to pay for college, will North Star Promise pay back my loans?

If I have loans or participate in a work study program, will those count against the funding I can receive through North Star Promise?

North Star Promise FAQs

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