EVERY FIFTEEN DAYS
Updates from The Office of Higher Education twice a month

Tenth Round of Dual Training Grants Awarded

The Dual Training Grant supports the Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline that provides dual trainees the opportunity to earn while they learn and help businesses meet their workforce needs. Through the grant, dual trainees will earn a wide variety of industry-recognized degrees, certificates and credentials that will help improve their skills and advance their careers. Grant funds can be used to cover the cost of dual trainees' tuition, fees and required materials for the related instruction training in program occupations. 

The Office of Higher Education (OHE) will be awarding all 69 applicants $3,358,875 in Dual Training grants this year. This includes $1,096,292 in grants located in the Twin Cities metro area and $2,262,583 in Greater Minnesota. Twenty-eight of the 69 grantees are new to the Dual Training Grant with the largest sector being advanced manufacturing receiving $1,717,961 in grants. Check out the full list of grantees.

Pell Grant Recipients May Access Additional Help Through The Emergency Broadband Benefit

For students, access to reliable internet is essential, so the Federal Communications Commission has launched a temporary program to help households, including students, struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This benefit can help students get access to the tools they need to be successful.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit provides a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

Eligible students can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail in application.

2020 Sexual Assault Report

Earlier this month OHE's Research division released the 2020 Sexual Assault Data Report which offers annual statistics on sexual assault occurring at Minnesota colleges. The report is posted online as an interactive Tableau and a PDF report. 

This legislative-mandated report includes annual statistics on the outcomes of the incidents reported to postsecondary institutions during 2020 in which either the alleged victim or respondent was a member of the campus community (employee or student) at the time of the incident; the incident occurred on the institution's campus (or on property owned/rented by the institution); or the incident occurred at an institutionally-sponsored event.

Additionally, the report offers definitions and category descriptions to provide context to readers regarding the sexual assault data reported. Please refer to the Sexual Assault Data Reporting Manual for more information.

Announcing OHE's New Communications Director

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is happy to announce that Keith Hovis will be the new Communications Director starting June 24. Sandy Connolly retired from the agency as of the first week of June and we wish her the happiest of retirements.  

Mr. Hovis comes to the agency with a wealth of public service experience. He is a former state employee and had the opportunity to work in the Governor’s Office under the Dayton’s administration in 2011. He also served as the Director of Communications for MMB for two years and the Department of Education as the Deputy Director of Communications for five years.

Mr. Hovis has spent the last three years at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs as the Director of Communications, leading internal and external communications, planning and strategy, as well as overseeing information technology, including data system and web development.