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.
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, 4:30 PM
- Notification to Approved Sponsors: March 13, 2026
- Program Application Opens: March 23, 2026
- Program Application Deadline: April 3, 2026
- Notification of Approved or Denied Programs: April 6, 2026
- Student Applications Open: April 13, 2026
- Student Application Deadline: April 27, 2026
- Student Awarding Begins: April 28, 2026
- A Minnesota postsecondary institution (public or private, accredited, degree-granting, located in MN)
- Nonprofit education organizations (incorporated, financially stable, no significant audit findings)
- 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.
Step 1: Complete the online SAEP Sponsor Application by February 27, 2026
2026-2027 Biennium Summer Academic Enrichment Program Sponsor Application
Step 2: Submit required documentation (financial statements, nonprofit incorporation docs, etc.)
Step 3: Await review and notification by March 10, 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.)
Approved 2026 camps will be announced by the third week of March.
Approved program sponsors will receive an email March 10th.
All program sponsors interested in participating in the SAEP program will need to complete an SAEP Sponsor Application as it is a new biennium.