The Postsecondary Child Care Grant Program helps eligible students offset the cost of existing out-of-pocket child care expenses for their young children while the student attends classes, works, or studies. This grant is awarded and administered by campus financial aid offices. Priority is given to existing recipients from the prior year who have applied by July 15th, new applicants are processed on a first come first served basis after July 15th.
Applicants will need to complete the Minnesota residency form to confirm eligibility
Eligibility Verification
Residency: Student must be a Minnesota resident student.
Enrollment: Student must be enrolled in at least one credit at a participating Minnesota institution. Both undergraduate and graduate students may apply.
Child Age: Eligible children must be 12 years or younger, or up to age 14 if the child has a documented disability.
Exclusions: Students are not eligible if they receive full‑time Child Care Assistance (40+ hours per week) or Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) benefits. Students are not eligible if another source (scholarship, grant, stipend, or individual) fully covers their child care costs.
FAFSA/MN Dream Act: Student must have completed either the FAFSA or the Minnesota Dream Act application for the current academic year.
Provider Information: Child care provider must complete their portion of the application, verifying hours and rates. They must also respond to provider verification outreach from the financial aid administrator.
Change Reporting: Students must report changes in provider, hours, or rates within 10 days. Administrators must update awards accordingly.
Documentation: Administrators may request additional documentation to confirm child care arrangements or costs when needed.
To qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a Minnesota resident student
- Must have a child 12 years old or younger (or a child 14 years old or younger if the child has a disability)
- Must be either an Undergraduate or Graduate student enrolled in at least 1 credit per term at a participating Minnesota School
- Has not received child care grant funds for a period of 10 semesters or the equivalent
- Students who have withdrawn for active military service after December 31, 2002 are given an extra term of eligibility
- Must not be in default on a student loan
- Must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress
- Must not be receiving full-time Child Care Assistance (40 hours or more per week)
- Must not have child care costs covered by another source (scholarship, stipend, etc.)
- Must not be a recipient of the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
- Must already be paying out-of-pocket for child care expenses at the time of application
Note: Schools can request additional documentation when processing child care grant applications. Students must submit any documentation requested. Students must also report any changes in child care arrangements (provider, hours, or rates) to the financial aid office within 10 days to keep awards accurate and avoid cancellation or denial once their application is submitted.
Interested students should complete the Postsecondary Child Care Grant application below. Students also must complete either the FAFSA or the MN Dream Act application.
Apply Online Now: Postsecondary Child Care Grant Student Application
Instruction Guide: Creating a MNAid Student Portal Account/Applying for Postsecondary Child Care Grant
To complete your application and be considered for funding, please follow these important next steps after completing the online application:
- Print your application and provide it to your child care provider to complete Section B.
- Review both Section A and Section B for accuracy and completeness.
- Submit the full application to the financial aid office at your college or university.
- The financial aid administrators will determine your eligibility and award amount and will notify you of the outcome. If you have any questions regarding your application, your schools contact information is found in Section B of the application and also in the confirmation email.
Note: Child Care Grant awards may be processed after other types of financial aid. Please plan accordingly.
The maximum award amount is $6,500 per eligible child per 9-month academic year. The amount of the award cannot exceed 40 hours of child care per week per eligible child. Students are eligible to receive an extra term of eligibility for summer term attendance.
In some instances, the maximum award may be increased by 10 percent to compensate for higher market costs for infant care up to the point the child reaches 18 months of age. Applicants who are charged a higher rate for infant care should inquire with their school to see if they offer this adjustment, and if so, to obtain the form necessary to request the adjustment.
SAI – Credit Level Enrollment Status Conversion Chart
Maximum Award per Term per Child: $3,250/semester or $2,167/quarter
Minimum Award per Term per Child: $50/Semester or $33/Quarter
*See SAI – Credit Level Enrollment Status Conversion Chart above
Awards may cover eligible child care costs up to 40 hours per week, not exceeding provider rate caps ($10/hour center; $5/hour home care), and are reduced by other child care assistance.
The Child Care Grant calculator estimates your award based on the number of weeks your child is in care during the academic year, the number of hours per week, your actual out-of-pocket child care costs, your Student Aid Index (SAI), your term enrollment level, other child care assistance received, type of child care (center vs home), and the availability of funding. Because funding is limited and awards are capped, your grant may not cover the full cost of care. In the event that a semester would end prior to a full week being completed, we will round up or down to the nearest 1/2 week as we can only request funds in full or half weeks. Ex: 17 weeks and 2 days would be rounded down to 17 weeks, 17 weeks at 3 days would be rounded up to 17.5 weeks.
Approvals, Denials, and Appeals and Retroactive Awards
Approved: Approved students will receive a confirmation e-mail from Financial Aid as well as an award letter for each child. Please note, childcare provider confirmation is required each semester before any awards can be processed.
Denied: Denied students will be sent a letter from Financial Aid as well as the reasoning for the denial
Appeals: Students can submit appeals for any denial reason with supporting documenation which clarifies any denied reasons.
Retroactive Awards: Students have until the end of the award year which they are applying to complete any appeals or forms needed for a retroactive awards consideration, plesae note that any appeals or retroactive awards will be based on the grant availability.
Waitlist: Students who submit an application after funding has been used will be placed on a waitlist on a first come first served basis if additional funds are issued through the state.
Changes To Care: Any changes to care must be reported to Financial Aid at [email protected] as soon as this information is known as this may change the award amounts.
When students apply for the Postsecondary Child Care Grant, students must provide complete and accurate information. Submitting false or misleading details about your child care expenses or eligibility is considered fraud. Fraud may result in denial or repayment of your grant and could affect your future financial aid eligibility.