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. Grant funds are intended to meet immediate student needs related to housing, food, and transportation that would otherwise prevent students from completing their term.

Funding Source

The Minnesota Legislature established the EAPS Grant Program in May 2017. The 2017 Legislature provided $175,000 each year of the 2018-2019 biennium to support the grant program.

Criteria

Minnesota postsecondary institutions with a demonstrable homeless student-population may apply for EAPS Grant funding.

Request for Proposals

On May 31, 2017, Governor Mark Dayton signed a higher education bill which adds an additional $210 million investment into need-based aid for students, institutional support, and funding for programs that support student access and success. A part of this funding will be used to support the Minnesota Office of Higher Educations Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students competitive grants for fiscal years (FY) 2018 and 2019.

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is currently accepting proposals from Minnesota postsecondary institutions for the fiscal year 2019 EAPS Grant Program. $175,000 will be awarded to postsecondary institutions with a demonstrable homeless population who are committed to supporting low-income students in overcoming hurdles that may prevent them from staying in college. FY 2019 projects will be funded for the 2018-2019 academic year. The deadline for receipt of proposals is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 29, 2018.

A technical assistance webinar for interested parties will be held at 10:00am on Wednesday, June 13. If you are interested in attending this session in person or by phone, please contact Kelly Gibson, Kelly.Gibson@state.mn.us or (651) 259-3906. 

Grant applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of community stakeholders, who will make award recommendations to the Office of Higher Education. If you are interested in volunteering to review EAPS proposals, please contact Alaina DeSalvo (Alaina.DeSalvo@state.mn.us) to inquire about the role. This committee will select grantees by July 31, 2018.    

Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students Request for Proposals

Fiscal Year 2018 Grant Recipients

The projects currently funded are:

• St. Catherine University, Katies Emergency Help
• Century College, Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students Program
• Inver Hills Community College, Acts of Kindness: Emergency Grants for Students in Need
• Pine Technical and Community College, Pine Technical and Community College Emergency Student Support
• Normandale Community College, Normandale Cares Student Emergency Assistance Program

On May 31, 2017, Governor Mark Dayton signed a higher education bill which adds an additional $210 million investment into need-based aid for students, institutional support, and funding for programs that support student access and success. A part of this funding will be used to support the Minnesota Office of Higher Education's Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students competitive grants for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

The Office of Higher Education is no longer accepting proposals for fiscal year 2018 funding. The fiscal year 2019 Request for Proposals will go live in Summer 2018, to fund programs in the 2018-2019 academic year. Please back for more information.

Contact

If you have questions or would like additional information on the Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students Grant Program, contact Alaina DeSalvo by email at Alaina.DeSalvo@state.mn.us or (651) 259-3988.