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Minnesota Student Teacher Grants

The Minnesota Student Teacher Grants is a financial aid program that aims to support students in becoming teachers in Minnesota by providing postsecondary financial assistance to eligible undergraduate and graduate students during the term the student is completing the required 12-week or more student teaching experience in order to attain their initial teaching license.

Eligibility

In general, applicants must:

  • Be enrolled in an PELSB-approved Minnesota teacher preparation program that requires at least 12 weeks of student teaching for initial licensure;
  • Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as defined by the institution;
  • Not be in default on a federal or state student loan;
  • Demonstrate financial need; and
  • Meet one or more of the following requirements:
    • Intend to teach in a designated rural school district in Minnesota.
    • Intend to teach in an identified license shortage area.
    • Belong to a racial or ethnic group underrepresented in the Minnesota teacher workforce

Award Amounts

On a funds available basis, selected undergraduate and graduate students may receive awards of up to $7,500 for one term on a first-come, first-served basis.

Priority Deadline

Eligible students with complete applications on file with the MN Office of Higher Education (OHE) by the priority deadline (listed below) will be considered for a grant. Applications will still be accepted after the priority deadline but students are much less likely to be awarded depending on the availability of funds.

To allow the University of St. Thomas Financial Aid Office time to review and submit the financial aid data portion of your application, we recommend having the application components listed below submitted to the Financial Aid Office one week prior to the MN Office of Higher Education (OHE) priority deadline.

Fall 2024

  • Suggested St. Thomas deadline: July 19, 2024
  • OHE application priority deadline: July 26, 2024

Spring 2025

  • Suggested St. Thomas deadline: November 1, 2024
  • OHE application priority deadline: November 8, 2024

Application Process

The following items must be submitted to apply for the MN Student Teacher Grants:

  1. Complete the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the MN Dream Act application (if you are not eligible to file the FAFSA).

  2. Apply for the 2024-2025 Student Teacher Grants on the MNAid Student Portal. See how to apply for the Student Teacher Grants (PDF) for more information.

    Note, you must be completing at least 12 weeks of student teaching during the term you select on the application.

Once both items have been completed, the Financial Aid Office will move forward in submitting the financial aid data portion of the application typically within 5-7 business days.