OHE November News Update





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*November 2023*






In this Issue:

* Launch of 2024-25 FAFSA Form - December 2023 [ #link_6 ]
* Registration Open for Ready, Set, FAFSA! January 2024 Webinar Series [ #link_3 ]
* New FAFSA, MN Dream Act Training for Minnesota Educators [ #link_2 ]
* North Star Promise Scholarship Program Toolkit for Educators Available [ #link_5 ]
* New Report Published: Educating for the Future 2023 [ #link_4 ]
* Apply Now for Minnesota Rural Veterinary Loan Repayment Program [ #link_1 ]





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Launch of 2024-25 FAFSA Form - December 2023

Image of paper FAFSA form and 1040 tax return document with a yellow paperclip

There are major changes and improvements [ [link removed] ] coming to the 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The U.S. Department of Education has announced the newly redesigned and streamlined FAFSA form will be available by Dec. 31, 2023.

To prepare for the changes, the Office of Higher Education, along with collaborative partners, are hosting several webinar opportunities to inform Minnesota students, families and educators about the FAFSA changes. See below for Ready, Set, FAFSA! January series for students and families and "train the trainer" sessions for Minnesota educators.

Visit the Federal Student Aid website [ [link removed] ] for additional information on the 2024-25 FAFSA and what action students and families can be taking now.



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Registration Open for Ready, Set, FAFSA! January 2024 Webinar Series
Ready Set FAFSA! Graphic - January 2024 Series

Registration is open for Ready, Set, FAFSA! January 2024 series to assist students and families with financial aid. The series, running on Tuesday evenings in January, is intended for current high school students and will cover general information about the financial aid process, details on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Dream Act for undocumented students, 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). 

Sessions include:

* *Session #1: Create Your FSA ID,* Jan. 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
* *Session #2: Apply for Financial Aid: FAFSA,* Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m.
OR
*Session #2: Apply for Financial Aid: MN Dream Act,* Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m.
* *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.

*Register Now →* [ [link removed] ]


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*Access October 2023 Ready, Set, FAFSA! Sessions*

Recordings of the October 2023 Ready, Set, FAFSA! are available on the Minnesota Goes to College website [ [link removed] ]. All recorded webinars, slides, Q&A and resources are linked below each session image.

This fall, the Ready, Set, FAFSA! series hosted families from 116 different school districts across Minnesota, with the highest participation from Roseville Area Schools, Farmington Public Schools, and Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools. Following the series, 97% of survey respondents said attending a session increased their confidence in understanding how financial aid works, while 61% of respondents learned brand new information. 

ECMC - The College Place provided two $500 scholarships which were awarded to a senior from Farmington High School and a senior from Mounds View High School.

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New FAFSA, MN Dream Act Training for Minnesota Educators

Text reads: FAFSA Training for Minnesota educators, December webinar series; image of a black male educator, Minnesota Goes to College logo

To prepare Minnesota educators for the launch of the updated 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, the Office of Higher Education is hosting “train the trainer” webinar sessions in December 2023.

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.

Sessions include:

* 2024-25 Better Future, Better FAFSA Training [ [link removed] ], Dec. 12 or 14 at 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
(Repeated content in both FAFSA sessions)
* Minnesota Dream Act Training [ [link removed] ], Dec. 13 at 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. 


*Register Now →* [ [link removed] ]


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North Star Promise Scholarship Program Toolkit for Educators Available
Text reads: Earn your degree Tuition Free, that's the North Star Promise; image of male engineering or manufacturing student working on a wired device

With the launch of the new North Star Promise Scholarship program coming in fall 2024, the Office of Higher Education has provided a toolkit [ [link removed] ] for Minnesota educators and college access professionals to help spread the word about the new program.

Graphics, presentation resources and printable documents are available on the North Star Promise webpage [ [link removed] ]. A list of commonly asked questions regarding the North Star Promise program are available on the FAQ webpage [ [link removed] ]. 

*Access Toolkit →* [ [link removed] ]


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New Report Published: Educating for the Future 2023

Educating for the Future Report Cover, MN Office of Higher Ed logo, October 2023 Update, image of college students walking downstairs on campus [ [link removed] ]

The Office of Higher Education published the 2023 Educating for the Future report [ [link removed] ], which offers a look into where Minnesota stands in overall postsecondary attainment and progress toward the legislatively mandated goal to have 70 percent of Minnesotans, aged 25 to 44, attain a postsecondary degree or certificate by 2025.

Current estimates show that 63.0% of Minnesotans, aged 25-44 years, have completed a postsecondary credential. This percentage increased slightly as compared to 2015 (57.5%), the first year after the goal was established. Approximately 10.6 % of Minnesotans hold a postsecondary certificate, while 63.0% hold an associate degree or higher credential.



*Learn More →* [ [link removed] ]


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Apply Now for Minnesota Rural Veterinary Loan Repayment Program

Minnesota Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program graphic, image of veterinarian working with cattle [ [link removed] ]

The Office of Higher Education is accepting applications for the Minnesota Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment program, which provides student loan repayment assistance to eligible veterinarians serving in designated rural areas in Minnesota. Awarded students can receive up to $75,000 in loan repayment assistance over 5 years. Learn more and find eligibility requirements on the OHE website [ [link removed] ].



*Apply Now →* [ [link removed] ]


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Text reads: Choose a college that's right for you, MyHigherEd banner, image of white female student on college campus [ [link removed] ]




OHE in the News

* Hundreds Of Colleges Now Offer Automatic Admission To Students (forbes.com) [ [link removed] ]
* Graduating seniors from 120 Minnesota high schools admitted to college before applying | MPR News [ [link removed] ]
* Direct admissions opens doors for students | Minnesota Private Colleges (mnprivatecolleges.org) [ [link removed]. ]
* [ [link removed] ]Minnesota colleges nix applications after start of direct admissions. (startribune.com) [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ]
* Minnesota’s Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment accepting applications (nationalhogfarmer.com) [ [link removed] ]







 

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