Minnesota Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship Pilot Program

 

If you have questions about this program, please contact the staff member listed on this page via email. If a staff member is not listed, please email financialaid.ohe@state.mn.us and provide a detailed description of your question.

Minnesota Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship Pilot Program provides postsecondary financial assistance to eligible undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing to become teachers, have demonstrated financial need, and belong to racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in the state’s teacher workforce.

The Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship has received a one-time appropriation for 2024-2025.

Who is Eligible?

To be eligible, students must:

• Attend an eligible institution Minnesota and:
  • Be admitted and enrolled in a Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) approved teacher preparation program seeking initial licensure; or
  • Be enrolled in a two-year program specifically designed to prepare early childhood educators;
• Be a person of color or American Indian;
• Be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements as defined by the institution;
• Not be in default on a federal or state student loan; and
• Demonstrate financial need.

How Much Money Can You Get?

The annual award for full-time students is up to $10,000 (so up to $5,000 a semester). Awards for students enrolled less than full-time are prorated on a per-credit basis.

• For undergraduate students, full-time means enrollment in a minimum of 15 or more credits per term.
• For graduate students, full-time means enrollment in a minimum of six graduate credits or equivalent.

The lifetime maximum a student can receive is $25,000.

What Is the Application Process?

A complete application must be submitted to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education by the priority deadline to be considered for an award. Applications will still be accepted after the priority deadline but eligible students may be placed on the waitlist. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Complete applications must include the following:

• Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship application;
• Completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Minnesota Dream Act application; and
• Financial data form submitted by the Financial Aid Office at the institution the student attends.

2024-2025 Application – Click here to apply for the online Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship. Paper application is available upon request. Email financialaid.ohe@state.mn.us.

Priority Deadline: August 2, 2024

What's the Selection Process?

All awards are based on funds availability. If there are insufficient funds to make full awards to all eligible applicants with complete applications received by the priority deadline, awards will be prioritized based on a combination of the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) and application completion date.

Eligible students with complete applications who did not receive an award due to insufficient funds, will be placed on a waitlist in the order of the application completion date.

What if You are Selected for an Award?

Applicants selected to receive an award are expected serve as a full-time teacher in Minnesota after completing the program for which the grant was awarded.

Eligible Institutions with Teacher Preparation Programs

Click here to view a full list of PELSB approved teacher preparation programs at each eligible college and university.

Eligible Minnesota Institutions with 2 year Early Childhood Education programs

• Alexandria Techincal College
• Central Lakes College
• St. Catherine University
• Dakota County Technical College
• Fond Du Lac Tribal and Community College
• Hennepin Technical College
• Leech Lake Tribal College
• Minneapolis Community and Technical College
• Minnesota North College
• Minnesota State College-Southeast
• Minnesota State Community and Technical College
• Minnesota West Community and Technical College
• Northland Community and Technical College
• Northwest Technical College
• Pine Technical College
• Rasmussen University
• Ridgewater Community College
• Rochester Community and Technical College
• Saint Cloud Technical and Community College
• South Central College
• St Paul College
• White Earth Tribal and Community College

Related Reports

• Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship Pilot 2022-2023 Final Report
• Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship Pilot 2023 Report