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Office of Higher Education warns of state grant imbalance tied to enrollment growth and FAFSA changes
Summary
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education told legislators that enrollment increases and federal FAFSA changes have raised state grant demand, prompting rationing of awards for fiscal year 2025 and projecting large potential deficits in later years without additional funding or statutory changes.
Dennis Olsen, commissioner of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, and staff briefed the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee on the state grant program’s finances, projections and the effect of federal FAFSA changes on need-based awards.
OHE research director Carrie Schneider and state financial aid manager Megan Flores told the committee the program is need-based, targeted to Minnesota residents attending Minnesota institutions, and that the office served approximately 71,530 students in fiscal year 2024 with an average award of about $3,400 (figures presented by OHE). Flores said roughly half of state grant recipients have family adjusted gross income below $40,000.
OHE staff…
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