Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students (EAPS) Grant Program

Improving college retention and completion for students experiencing food/housing insecurity or an unforeseen financial emergency

 

The Office of Higher Education administers the Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students (EAPS) Grant Program to foster postsecondary attendance and retention for low-income students by providing funding and resources to Minnesota colleges and universities with a demonstrable homeless population. The Minnesota Legislature established the EAPS Grant Program in May 2017. Grant funds are intended to meet immediate student needs related to housing, food, and transportation that would otherwise prevent students from completing their term.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Institutions eligible for EAPS grant funding include private, non-profit postsecondary institutions and/or Tribally-affiliated postsecondary institutions with a demonstrable homeless population. Institutions are required to have a physical campus in the state of Minnesota. 

The State of Minnesota defines “homeless” as any individual, unaccompanied youth or family that is without a permanent place to live that is fit for human habitation. By this definition, students who are doubling-up (staying with a friend or family member, i.e. “crashing” or “couch-surfing”) are considered homeless. 

Colleges or universities can demonstrate that they serve students experiencing homelessness by submitting one of the following items: 

• Recently-conducted research on the prevalence of student homelessness on their campus; 
• Limited data collected as a part of other social service programs on campus (i.e. collecting participant information at a campus food shelf or student-parent center); or 
• Summative reports that demonstrate the prevalence of homelessness among the population served. 

If a college or university has not conducted any quantitative research around housing insecurity within their institution, OHE may consider their proposal if the institution submits a written commitment to conducting research on the prevalence of student homelessness on their campus within one calendar year. EAPS funds may not be used to support this research.

What are Eligible Services? 

Funds awarded to postsecondary institutions must be used to administer an emergency grant program. 

This may include: 

• Funds paid to students
• Funds paid to third-parties on behalf of students 
• Gift cards provided to students 

How much Money can a Grantee Receive?

The maximum allowable request per institution is $75,000 a year with a maximum grant amount of $150,000.

What is the Application Process?

2025 Request for Proposals

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is currently accepting proposals for the Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students Grant.

Please review the FY26 EAPS Grant Request for Proposals before beginning the submission process.

EAPS FY2026 RFP

EAPS Request for Proposals Timeline

Date	Description
March 24th, 2025	Request for Proposals available to applicants
April 9th, 2025 (11:00 a.m. CT)	EAPS Grant Proposal Workshop – Virtual (see teams link below)
April 28th, 2025 (4:00 p.m. CT)	Technical Question Deadline
May 2, 2025	Online Grants Management System User Registration Deadline
May 8th, 2025 (4:00 p.m. CT)	Proposal Submission Deadline
June 6th, 2025	Award Notice to Applicants
June 18, 2025 (1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. CT)	Mandatory Grantee Orientation – Grantees will receive a virtual teams invitation after their award notice.

Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. CT on May 8, 2025 through the secure online grants management system. 

How Do I Login to Apply?

The grants management system requires user registration. Click the link above and select "New User? Register Here!" and fill out the form. 

OHE reviews and approves each user registration within three business days.

User registration submitted after May 2, 2025 may not be reviewed and approved prior to the proposal deadline.

If you need assistance with the portal, please see the Applicant/Grantee Manual: How to Naviagate the Portal. 

Request for Proposals Applicant Workshop

Interested applicants should attend this Request for Proposals workshop at 11 a.m. Central Time, April 9, 2025.

The workshop will be recorded and posted online for later review, however, OHE recommends attending live to answer any time sensitive questions.

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 247 122 775 014

Passcode: NV6i5c7e

Dial in by phone +1 651-395-7448,,138731629# United States, Minneapolis

Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 138 731 629#

Join on a video conferencing device

Tenant key: mn@m.webex.com

Video ID: 112 870 514 6

More info

Who do I Contact with Questions?

If you have questions or would like additional information on the Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students Grant Program, contact GWI.OHE@state.mn.us.

EAPS FY2026 Request for Proposal Technical Questions

For Students:

Students in need of emergency assistance should contact the financial aid office and/or foundation at their college or university. For additional resources, see our Student Homelessness in Higher Education webpage.

2022-2023 Grant Recipients

• Minnesota State University, Mankato
• Normandale Community College
• South Central College
• Pine Technical and Community College
• St. Cloud Technical and Community College
• Century College
• Red Lake Nation College
• Saint Paul College

 

Reports

• 2020 Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students Grant Program Report