North Star Promise Scholarship

 

The North Star Promise (NSP) Scholarship program creates a tuition and fee-free pathway to higher education for eligible Minnesota Residents at eligible institutions.  The NSP scholarship is considered a “last-dollar” program by covering the balance of tuition and fees remaining after other scholarships, grants, stipends, and tuition waivers have been applied. 

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February 20, 2025:  Important Updates and Changes

Due to a projected spending deficit in the North Star Promise program, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education has announced the following changes :

• For Summer 2025, no NSP Plus funds (see description below) will be awarded.
• Beginning 2025-2026 (Fall 2025, Spring 2026, Summer 2026):
  • Only resident undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees will be included in the NSP award calculation. 
  • Fees that will NOT be included in the NSP award calculation are special course fees such aviation flight labs, music, art, theatre, nursing, human performance, mechanical engineering, business, etc.
  • No NSP Plus funds will be awarded.

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See If You Qualify for Financial Aid & Scholarships

Eligible students must

• Be a Minnesota resident
• Have a family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $80,000 (FAFSA or MN Dream Act application)
• Attend a Minnesota public higher education institution or Tribal College
• Not be in default on a state or federal student loan
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards
• Have not already earned a baccalaureate degree
• Be enrolled in a program or course of study that applies to a degree, diploma, or certificate

What does "last dollar" mean?

The scholarship will cover the balance of your tuition and fees after other gift aid funding (scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, certain veterans' benefits, etc.). Any grants or scholarships you already have (from the university, private companies, community scholarships, etc.) would first be applied to your tuition and fees balance before the North Star Promise Scholarship is calculated. Loans and work-study are not sources of gift aid.

Other costs, such as housing, food, books, supplies, and transportation, are not considered for the North Star Promise Scholarship.

North Star Promise Scholarship Examples

Here are a few examples of what some hypothetical North Star Promise award calculations could look like on our campus for the fall of 2024:

A.	$9,500	Tuition/fees
	-$7,300	Pell Grant
	-$3,000	MN State Grant
	=$0	North Star Promise Scholarship (the full tuition and fees are paid for)

B.	$9,500	Tuition/fees
	-$5,500	Pell Grant
	-$2,700	MN State Grant
	-$1,000	Other Grant, Scholarship, or Waiver
	=$300	North Star Promise Scholarship

C.	$9,500	Tuition/fees
	$11,672	Room/meals (student living on campus)
	$21,172
	-$7,300	Pell Grant
	-$3,000	MN State Grant
	$1,000	Maverick Scholarship (or other grant, scholarship, or waiver)
	$0	North Star Promise Scholarship (the full tuition & fees are paid for)
	=$9,872	Net Price

Application Process

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Minnesota Dream Act Application.
• That’s it! The Financial Aid office will determine your eligibility on a term-by-term basis and award North Star Promise scholarships to all eligible students.

NORTH STAR PROMISE PLUS (NSP+) AWARD

North Star Promise Plus (NSP+) is a supplemental financial aid award given to students who are North Star Promise (NSP) eligible and who receive a Federal Pell Grant.

Update: These funds are not available to students for the Summer 2025 term, and the 2025-2026 school year (Fall 2025, Spring 2026, Summer 2026).

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For more information on the NSP and NSP+, please visit: Minnesota North Star Promise Scholarship Program