Child Care Grant

If you have questions about this program, please contact the staff member listed on this page via email. If a staff member is not listed, please email info.ohe@state.mn.us and provide a detailed description of your question.

The Postsecondary Child Care Grant Program helps low income students who have young children pay for child care while the student attends classes.

Who is Eligible?

Minnesota residents who have a child 12 years old or younger (or 14 or younger if the child is handicapped) and whose family size and income qualify for the program. To qualify, students also must:

Be Minnesota residents.
Be enrolled 1-12 credits or more per term (undergraduates) or 1-6 credits or more per term (graduates).
Has not received child care grant funds for a period of ten semesters or the equivalent. Students who have withdrawn for active military service after December 31, 2002 are given an extra term of eligibility.
Not have defaulted on a student loan.

The student must not be receiving assistance from the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP). Individuals receiving MFIP at this time should contact their County Social Office of Higher Education to get additional information about child care assistance.

What Schools Are Eligible?

Eligible institutions are all public postsecondary schools and private, baccalaureate degree granting colleges and universities located in Minnesota, or nonprofit, two-year vocational schools granting associate degrees.

How is the Award Determined?

The amount of child care assistance depends on:

The students EFC.
The number of day care hours necessary to cover education and work obligations.
The availability of funding.
The student's enrollment status

How Much Money Can You Get?

The maximum award amount is $6,500 per eligible child per academic year. The amount of the award cannot exceed 40 hours of child care per week per eligible child.

In some instances, the maximum award may be increased by 10 percent to compensate for higher market costs for infant care.

EFC - Credit Level to Enrollment Status Conversion Chart