Are You Eligible?
In order to qualify for state and federal financial aid, you must meet certain eligibility guidelines:
- Are you a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or an eligible non-citizen? (required for federal financial aid only)
- Are you a resident of Minnesota?
- Are you an independent or a dependent student?
Distance learners also may be eligible for some forms of financial aid.
If you have any questions about your eligibility to receive state or federal financial aid, contact a financial aid administrator at the institution you are interested in attending, or contact the Office of Higher Education.
To be eligible as a Minnesota resident for most state financial aid programs, a student must meet ONE of the following criteria:
- Graduated from a Minnesota high school while residing in Minnesota and, if currently residing in another state, physically attending a Minnesota college.
- Received a GED in Minnesota after living in the state for at least one year.
- The student lived in Minnesota for at least 12 consecutive months, and during that time was not enrolled for more than 5 credits in any term, at any institution. This does not have to be the initial 12 months the student lived in Minnesota.
- Is a member (or spouse or dependent of) of the U.S. armed forces stationed in Minnesota for active federal military service.
- Is a spouse or dependent of a veteran who is a Minnesota resident.
- Is an active member, or a spouse or dependent of that member, of the state's National Guard who resides in Minnesota or an active member, or a spouse or dependent of that member, of the reserve component of the United States armed forces whose duty station is located in Minnesota and who resides in Minnesota.
- Relocated to Minnesota within 12 months of a presidential disaster area declaration if the disaster disrupted the student's postsecondary education.
- Is a refugee who immediately settled in Minnesota and has continued to reside in Minnesota.
- For dependent student: The applicant's parent(s) legal state of residence on the current FAFSA was Minnesota at the time when the financial aid application was submitted.
- For independent student: The student originally met the resident definition as a dependent applicant, and has not moved from the state since that time.
- Is married to a Minnesota resident (applies to the Postsecondary Child Care Grant program only).
Effective July 1, 2013, undocumented students who meet the critera in the MN Dream Act are also considered to be Minnesota residents eligible for state financial aid. Students who do not meet the MN Dream Act criteria, but are lawfully present or legally residing when they meet ONE of the above criteria for Minnesota resident status are considered resident students and should apply for state aid via the MN Dream Act application. For example, students granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protective Status (TPS), certain types of Visas, or who have Asylum Pending status will be eligible for state financial aid.
Students and their families are not penalized for leaving the state to serve in the military or missionary service, or to attend college in another state in they retained Minnesota as their state of legal residence.
Residency requirements may vary for different loans, scholarships, or tuition rates.
Some colleges and universities have opted to utilize an Online Student Eligibility Questionnaire as a way to document students have Minnesota resident status for postsecondary education purposes. Students who list a school that uses the Online Student Eligibility Questionnaire on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will receive an email from mnaid@nelnet.net. This is a legitimate email address associated with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the administration of state financial aid programs.
If there are any questions about a student's residency status, contact the financial aid office at the school the student is attending or wishes to attend, and explain the family situation.
Students enrolled in online or telecommunications courses are eligible for most types of financial aid.
However, to be eligible for some forms of federal financial aid, a student enrolled in correspondence courses must:
- attend an institution where at least half the students enroll in on-campus courses. A limited number of schools are exempt from this.
- attend a program that offers at least one day of instruction each week.
- be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or an eligible non-citizen.
Students also may be eligible for a loan from the Minnesota Student Educational Loan Fund (SELF) Program.
Undergraduate Minnesota residents may qualify for assistance from the Minnesota State Grant Program if the institution is physically located in Minnesota and participates in the program. The method of educational delivery is not considered when determining eligibility for or the amount of the state grant. If enrolled in an exclusively online program, the program must be offered through the Minnesota location. In other words, the student's registration and credential granted must be from the Minnesota school. The Minnesota State Grant may not be used at out-of-state schools.
To learn more about your financial aid eligibility as a distance learner, talk with a financial aid administrator at the institution you are considering or check if the school has administrative and support services available online. Most aid, regardless of the original source, is dispersed through the school's aid administrator.
Also remember to ask questions that help you identify program and technical requirements as well as the academic and technical support available.
Various factors may result in increases or decreases in your eligibility for financial aid:
Class Load
Increases or decreases in the number of credits you take per term may affect how much financial aid you are eligible to receive. Before making changes to your class schedule, check with your financial aid administrator for more details.
School Transfer
Financial aid does not automatically transfer with the student to a new institution. Students must contact the financial aid administrator at the new school to determine what actions should be taken to receive aid. Not all institutions participate in the Federal Pell Grant or the Minnesota State Grant programs.
Students with federal aid must be sure to have an electronic version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) results sent to the new institution. In many cases, the new institution will be able to access the federal application system electronically. If you transfer to a more expensive school, you may be eligible to receive more aid.
Students with a Federal Direct Loan, PLUS loan, or SELF Loan will need to reapply. Students receiving work study or the Minnesota Postsecondary Child Care Grant also need to reapply. Having a work-study job at one school does not necessarily guarantee a position at another school, particularly if the second college has already exhausted its work-study funding. See your financial aid administrator for details.
Family Financial Status
Students and families sometimes experience changes in their financial status due to special circumstances, such as the loss of a job, serious illness, disability, separation or divorce, or death in the family. If your family income changes, your financial aid eligibility also may change, even if you previously applied and were denied assistance.
Contact the financial aid administrator at the institution you attend or plan to attend and explain your circumstances. In special instances, the aid administrator can adjust the information used to calculate your expected family contribution which may result in increased financial aid eligibility based on your revised level of financial need.
To receive a Federal Pell Grant and/or apply to other federal programs, the student must:
- Be an U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Have a high school diploma (includes home schooling) or GED if you were first enrolled in college after July 1, 2012. (Students who were first enrolled in an eligible career pathway program on or after July 1, 2015, may still qualify for a reduced Pell Grant without having a high school diploma or GED.)
- Be an undergraduate student or applying as an undergraduate for the Pell Grant. Graduate students are eligible for work-study and student loans.
- Not have already received a Federal Pell Grant for 12 full-time semesters or the equivalent.
- Be enrolled in a program leading to a certificate, diploma, or degree at any institution eligible to participate in the Pell Grant Program.
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the grant program.
