For Immediate Release



Contact: Keith Hovis

651-308-2252

[email protected]




July 24, 2025

Previous Announcements [ [link removed] ]

 





________________________________________________________________________



*OHE Awards Over $2 Million in Grants to Advance College Attendance*

*St. Paul, Minn.— *Today, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) announced the 2025 recipients of the Intervention for College Attendance Program (ICAP) grant. Established in 2001 by the Minnesota Legislature, these grants provide funding to programs offered to encourage college attendance of historically underserved students, bridging the gap between K12 education and the student’s first year of postsecondary education. In total, 20 organizations received ICAP grants, totaling $2,055,600 in funding.

*“Every Minnesotan who earns a postsecondary credential is a benefit for our state,”* OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson said. *“The skills they learn through higher education result in greater career opportunities and higher lifetime earning potential. But ensuring more people have access to higher education also means our businesses have access to the employees they need to succeed, and our overall economy can remain strong. These grants will help us close higher education attainment gaps and give more Minnesotans the resources they need to make attending college a reality.”*

ICAP Grants are available to school districts, public and private postsecondary institutions, professional organizations, and community-based organizations. Grant funds are used to provide the following pre-college services:


* Academic counseling,
* Mentoring,
* Fostering and improving parental involvement in planning for and facilitating a college education,
* English as a second language services,
* Academic enrichment activities,
* Tutoring,
* Career awareness and exploration,
* Orientation to college life,
* Assistance with high school course selection and information about college admission requirements, and
* Financial aid and literacy education/counseling.

Grantees can receive up to $120,000 for a biennium, or $60,000 per year. All grant recipients are required to match the grant dollar-for-dollar either through cash or in-kind contributions.

*2025 ICAP Grant Recipients*

Of the 2025 grant recipients, 11 are located in Greater Minnesota and 9 are located in the Metro.


* University of Minnesota, Morris
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: UMN Morris Bridges to the Future

* Northfield Healthy Community Initiative
* Amount Awarded: $119,980
* Program Name: Tackling Obstacles & Raising College Hopes (TORCH)

* Bemidji State University
* Amount Awarded: $99,229
* Program Name: Bemidji State University Intervention for College Attendance/Upward Bound Project

* Austin Aspires, Inc.
* Amount Awarded: $119,969
* Program Name: Aspiring Leaders of Tomorrow

* Metro Schools
* Amount Awarded: $119,199
* Program Name: Post Secondary Success Program

* Minnesota African Women’s Association
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: Twin Cities African Girls Intervention for College Attendance Program

* College Possible
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: College Possible Minnesota college access rural and metro expansion

* Project Friendship
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: Project Friendship: Inspiring College Confidence Through Mentoring

* Faribault Public Schools
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: Faribault RISE - Realizing Individual Student Excellence

* Normandale Community College
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: Expanding Developmental Education Students’ Access to Resources and Mentorship

* Breakthrough Twin Cities
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: Breakthrough Twin Cities Students Teaching Students

* Minnesota State University, Moorhead
* Amount Awarded: $115,182
* Program Name: SMART Start Success Through Community

* Minnesota State University, Mankato
* Amount Awarded: $119,679
* Program Name: Empowering Pathways for Student Success and Retention through Mentorship at Minnesota State University, Mankato

* Minnesota State University, Mankato
* Amount Awarded: $48,600
* Program Name: Maverick Pathway

* Concordia University
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: First Step Forward: Bridging the Gap to College Success

* Hamline University
* Amount Awarded: $120,000
* Program Name: Piper Academic Community

* MIGIZI
* Amount Awarded: $59,664
* Program Name: ICAP for Native American Youth

* Catherine University
* Amount Awarded: $55,697
* Program Name: Ensuring Academic Success for Everyone (EASE): St. Kate's First Year Postsecondary Intervention Project

* Northside Achievement Zone
* Amount Awarded: $59,265
* Program Name: Success Planning for North Minneapolis Scholars: Pathways to Post-Secondary Achievement

* Communidades Latinas Unidas En Servico (CLUES)
* Amount Awarded: $59,136
* Program Name: Youth in Action! (YA!)

*Total Amount Awarded: *$2,055,600

Read more about the ICAP grants, including previous recipients, on the OHE website [ [link removed] ].

###





________________________________________________________________________

minnesota office of higher education [ [link removed] ]

Questions? Contact Us [ [link removed] ]

Follow us on Facebook [ [link removed] ]Follow us on Twitter [ [link removed] ]Follow us on YouTube [ [link removed] ]Big Ed [ [link removed] ]Sign up for email updates [ [link removed] ]

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:

Manage Preferences [ [link removed] ]  |  Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]  |  Help [ [link removed] ]  |  Sign-up for other Minnesota OHE notifications [ [link removed] ]



This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Minnesota Office of Higher Education · 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 · Saint Paul, MN 55108-5227 · (651) 642-0567 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]
body .abe-column-block { min-height: 5px; } table.gd_combo_table img {margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px;} table.gd_combo_table div.govd_image_display img, table.gd_combo_table td.gd_combo_image_cell img {margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px;} table.govd_hr {min-width: 100%;} p, li, h1, h2, h3 { overflow-wrap: normal; word-wrap: normal; word-break: keep-all; -moz-hyphens: none; -ms-hyphens: none; -webkit-hyphens: none; hyphens: none; mso-hyphenate: none; }