Following the soft launch of the redesigned 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the U.S. Department of Education announced the form will now be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The form will be continuously available except for routine maintenance, typical of any FAFSA cycle. A list of known bugs is available on the Department’s Issue Alerts page, and will be updated in the coming days as issues are identified and resolved.
Any student, regardless of income, who is pursuing higher education or trade school should complete the FAFSA. The 2024–25 FAFSA will allow students to access federal, state and institutional financial aid to attend college between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. You can read more in the U.S. Department of Education press release.
The Minnesota Dream Act, the financial aid application for undocumented students to access in-state tuition rates and state/scholarship aid, will launch later in January 2024.
Better FAFSA Better Future Webinar Series for School Partners
Federal Student Aid announced two upcoming live webinars for school partners to ask questions about the recent launch of the 2024–25 FAFSA form.
These webinars, presented in question-and-answer format, will focus on questions about the recent launch of the 2024–25 FAFSA form for those who work with students and families to complete the form. Participants can ask questions by typing them into the chat during the webinar.
Participation will be available on a first come, first-served basis and webinars will accommodate up to 20,000 attendees in each session. Video recordings and transcripts of the webinars will be available the week following each live session.
Sessions include:
Better FAFSA Better Future Q&A Session 1
Better FAFSA Better Future Q&A Session 2
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 In time for the launch of the new FAFSA form, students and families are invited to join the Ready, Set, FAFSA! January 2024 webinar series, running on Tuesday evenings through the month. The series is intended for current high school students and will cover details on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Dream Act for undocumented students, general information about the financial aid process, and other ways to pay for college.
All sessions will have interpretation in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. Attendees can ask questions in the chat and have them answered during the event by financial aid experts. Students who attend any of the sessions will be entered into a drawing to win a $1,000 scholarship (one entry per session attended).
Remaining sessions include:
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Session #2: Apply for Financial Aid: FAFSA, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m.
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Session #2: Apply for Financial Aid: MN Dream Act, Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m.
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Session #3: Understand Your Offer Letter, Jan. 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Ready, Set, FAFSA! sessions are offered as a collaboration by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Minnesota Department of Education, ECMC - The College Place, and Minnesota Goes to College.
Postsecondary institutions can apply now for funding to develop Career and Technical Education (CTE) concurrent enrollment courses or expand existing programs
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is accepting applications for the Concurrent Enrollment Grant Program (CEGP) to provide funds to postsecondary institutions to develop or expand their concurrent enrollment programs. An eligible applicant must be a Minnesota postsecondary institution, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and accredited (or working toward accreditation) by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP).
An eligible applicant can receive funding to support new Career and Technical Education concurrent enrollment courses or expansion of existing concurrent enrollment programs. Proposals are due by Jan. 31.
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The application for the Minnesota Paramedic Scholarship has launched and is available for eligible students to complete. A total of 600 scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded to Minnesota residents who are completing a paramedic diploma or degree. All eligible programs require students to be a current Emergency Medical Technical (EMT) license holder before starting the program.
This temporary scholarship program was passed during the 2023 Minnesota Legislative session to increase the number of licensed paramedics in Minnesota.
The first round of scholarships will be awarded to students starting Fall 2024. Questions about the program can be directed to Adam Johnson at Adam.D.Johnson@state.mn.us.
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The Office of Higher Education's Get Ready program and the National Postsecondary Strategy Institute (NPSI) are hosting an upcoming professional development training for school administrators, counselors, and teachers to outline strategies for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion, considering recent changes made by the U.S. Department of Education. The training will explore effective FAFSA completion strategies at the district-level and school-level that support improved overall FAFSA completion outcomes for all students.
Continuing Education Credits are available for those interested. If you have any questions, please email GetReadyInfo.OHE@state.mn.us.
FAFSA Completion Strategies: Navigating U.S. Department of Education Changes
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Date and Time: Jan. 18 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Recordings are available of the recent "train the trainer" webinar sessions to teach Minnesota educators about the updated 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Minnesota Dream Act.
The webinars are specifically designed for Minnesota school counselors, college access programs, and community partners who work with students and families to complete the FAFSA and Minnesota Dream Act.
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