Grants
Grants are awarded from the government on the basis of financial need and are the largest source of financial aid. Grants are awards you do not have to repay.
Types of Grants
Federal Pell Grants are only awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree and who demonstrate significant financial need. For many students, Pell Grants provide a foundation of financial aid to which other aid may be added.
To determine if you are eligible, the U.S. Department of Education uses a standard formula to evaluate the information you report on the FAFSA. The formula produces an expected family contribution (EFC). This helps determine how Pell Grants and other types of aid are awarded. How much you receive is based on not only your EFC, but on your cost of attendance, whether you are a full or part-time student, and whether you attend for the full academic year.
Awards are prorated on a credit-by-credit basis when enrollment is less than 12 credits per term. You must apply every year by completing the FAFSA. Eligibility is limited to 18 semesters of full time enrollment for students receiving the Pell Grant for the first time in 2008 or later.
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is available for undergraduate students with financial need, who are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. Annual awards are determined by the MSUM Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid.
You must apply every year by completing the FAFSA. The grant is awarded on a first applied basis. The FAFSA should be submitted prior to Thanksgiving for consideration. The grant is limited to students who have not received a baccalaureate degree and who continue to demonstrate exceptional financial need.
Awards are prorated for less than full time enrollment (12 or more credits).
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year in grants for graduate and undergraduate students who intend to teach full time in high-need subject areas for at least four years at school(s) that serve students from low-income families.
To be considered for a TEACH Grant, you must be formally admitted to one of the following TEACH Grant-eligible programs of study at Minnesota State University Moorhead:
- Undergraduate
- Special Education
- Science Education
- Mathematics Education
- Spanish Education
- Graduate
- Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction (with an undergraduate degree in a high-need field)
- Master of Science in Special Education
OR - Be formally admitted into a Teacher Education Program that is designated as a high-need program in the state you plan to teach, and is listed on the Department of Education’s Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.
Requirements:
- Meet one of the following academic achievement requirements:
- Score above the 75th percentile on a college admission test (e.g. SAT, ACT, GRE)
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 from your most recent completed semester
- Be a citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Not in default on a federal student loan
- Meet the Standards for Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (Note: you do not have to demonstrate financial need)
- Agree to teach in a high-need subject area at a school serving low-income students for at least four of the eight years following graduation or ceasing your program of study. When you begin teaching, the school must be listed on the Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools. Click on “Search,” choose your state and enter your school’s name or the county in which it’s located after “Location.”
If you fail to complete the four-year teaching obligation within eight years of completing or ceasing your program of study, your grant will convert to an unsubsidized loan, which will have to be repaid with interest accrued from the date the grant funds were first disbursed.
If you are selected to receive a TEACH Grant, each year you will need to:
- Complete TEACH Grant Counseling
- Complete and sign the Agreement to Serve (ATS)
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 each semester, if you met the academic achievement requirement with a cumulative GPA of 3.25
Download the TEACH Grant application form or contact the MSUM Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid.
Minnesota residents who enroll at MSU Moorhead may qualify for aid through the Minnesota State Grant, with eligibility for up to four years of full time enrollment. The MSUM Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid determines aid eligibility.
Awards are prorated on a credit-by-credit basis when enrollment is less than 15 credits per term. You must apply every year by completing the FAFSA.
The Minnesota Post-Secondary Child Care Grant program provides financial assistance to students who are Minnesota residents, have children 12 and under (14 or younger if child is handicapped), are not receiving assistance under the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and demonstrate financial need for grants. The grant helps pay for childcare while a student is pursuing their first undergraduate degree. Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree and are now pursuing a graduate/professional degree are also eligible to apply.
The maximum award amount is $3,000 per eligible child per academic year, and is based upon the income of you and your spouse, the number of people in your family, the number of eligible children within your family who need childcare, and your level of enrollment.
Awarding is done annually through an application process and is based on availability of funds. For questions or to request an application, email Jessica Swedberg.
The Minnesota GI Bill program was established in 2007 to provide post-secondary financial assistance to eligible Minnesota veterans and service members, as well as eligible spouses and children of deceased or severely disabled eligible Minnesota veterans.
Full time undergraduate or graduate students may be eligible to receive up to $3,000 annually and part time students may be eligible to receive up to $500 per semester.
The Minnesota Dream Act (also known as The Prosperity Act) provides certain benefits to undocumented students who meet certain criteria. The act was introduced by Sen. Sandra Pappas and Rep. Carlos Mariani, and was included in the omnibus Higher Education bill passed by the 2013 Minnesota Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mark Dayton on May 23, 2013.
The Fostering Independence Higher Education Grant is a financial aid program that seeks to eliminate that barrier for Minnesota students who were in the foster care system.
If you are a Minnesota resident under age 27 and were in the Minnesota foster care system at any point after you thirteenth birthday, this grant may cover the cost of attendance at any eligible Minnesota public or participating private college and university. Accessing the grant is as simple as filling out the 2022-2023 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) OR Minnesota Dream Act application. Both applications include a question about your foster care status; the Minnesota Department of Human Services will collaborate with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education to confirm your information. If you are eligible, your school will award the Fostering Independence Grant as part of your official financial aid offer.
The Minnesota Future Together Grant, first awarded in Spring 2022, is part of Governor Walz’s allocation of American Rescue Plan funds and is intended to provides eligible Minnesota residents a tuition-free pathway to earning a degree in a high-need field. The grant covers the cost of tuition and fees for eligible students after all other financial aid is calculated. Award amounts range from $100 - $15,400. Grants will be awarded as long as funds are available until the program ends in 2024. See the Minnesota Office of Higher Education for more information.