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We at the Office of Higher Education (OHE) want to wish everyone heading back to campuses across the state this fall nothing but a successful and positive year. We know that with a new year comes new opportunity and new questions. If you have questions related to how OHE might help you or your students in their quest for furthering their education, check out our newly redesigned OHE website [ [link removed] ].
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In This Issue:
* 2025-2026 Annual Publications Are Now Available [ #link_2 ]
* Minnesota Goes to College is Back in Action! [ #link_4 ]
* Federal Budget Updates [ #link_1 ]
* 2026–27 FAFSA® Form Coming Soon | Beta available now [ #link_3 ]
* Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education 2025 Conference [ #link_5 ]
* OHE Well Represented at Clinics at the Capitol [ #link_6 ]
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2025-2026 Annual Publications Are Now Available
Composite of the new publications on a table.
The newly designed 2025-2026 annual publications are hot off the presses! Available in both digital and physical formats, this years publications bring a re-imagining of the structure, content, and design, three publications were turned into two for better streamlining of information for students and families.
Whether you are a counselor looking to place an order for distribution at your school, or a student/family looking to have a copy to discuss at the dining room table, free ordering is available through the link below.
Explore the publications [ [link removed] ]
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Minnesota Goes to College is Back in Action!
Counselor Trainings
Welcome to the 2025-26 school year from the Minnesota Goes to College initiative! We look forward to connecting with counselors, students, and families across Minnesota this year. If you haven’t already checked it out, please visit our new website at mngoestocollege.mn.gov [ [link removed] ]!
Our fall counselor training schedule is live now [ [link removed] ]. Educators are encouraged to sign up to learn more about relevant higher education updates, the 2026-27 FAFSA and the 2026-27 Dream Act application.
* 25-26 Higher Education Updates: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2:30-3:30pm
* 2026-2027 FAFSA Training: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2-3:30pm
* 2026-2027 FAFSA Training (repeat): Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2-3:30pm
* 2026-2027 Minnesota Dream Act Application Training: Thursday, Oct 23, 2-3pm
We are also excited to continue our popular student and family virtual information session series, stay tuned for our fall schedule, which is going live soon [ [link removed] ]. Read more about Minnesota Goes to College and subscribe to our newsletter [ [link removed] ] for regular updates about our work.
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Federal Budget Updates
On July 4, 2025, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (the Act) was signed into law, resulting in changes to some federal student aid programs. Some of these changes went into effect immediately, while others will go into effect later this year and beyond.
Read more information about changes affecting recipients of federal student aid, including borrowers. This page will be updated when new information becomes available.
Read Updates [ [link removed] ]
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2026–27 FAFSA® Form Coming Soon | Beta available now
The 2026–27 "Free Application for Federal Student Aid" (FAFSA®) form is in beta for early testing and will be available to everyone by Oct. 1, 2025. If you would like to join the beta testing you can request access through the Federal Student Aid website.
If you don't want to be a part of the beta testing there are things you can do to prepare for the 2006-27 form:
* Create a StudentAid.gov account [ [link removed] ] (if you don’t already have one).
* Learn about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form [ [link removed] ].
* Determine your dependency status [ [link removed] ] and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.
* If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard [ [link removed] ] to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.
Learn more [ [link removed] ]
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Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education 2025 Conference
Conference Theme: "Transformation"
*Tuesday, September 23 | 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. Central Time*
Attend for a day of learning, connection, and transformation as we engage with Minnesota's growing inclusive higher education movement.
Embracing change can be difficult in times of uncertainty, but it is also where transformation begins. This statewide conference provides a space for students, families, educators, faculty, staff, and other key stakeholders to unite and navigate the challenges and opportunities of inclusive higher education. It is a time to learn from one another, share insights, and explore what is possible when we commit to building a more inclusive future.
The theme of this year’s conference is *Transformation*—reflecting the powerful changes across Minnesota as more colleges and universities open their doors to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Explore how inclusive higher education transforms not only students' lives, but also classrooms, campuses, and entire communities.
The conference, centered on the voices and experiences of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, aims to raise awareness, deepen understanding, and inspire continued growth toward truly inclusive learning environments.
*Register now for this virtual conference [ [link removed] ]*
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OHE Well Represented at Clinics at the Capitol
Four OHE employees at a booth.
On August 20, the state hosted its "Clinics at the Capitol" event with a theme of "Building Bridges with Grantees and State Agencies." The event featured resource tables, an equity panel and a variety of workshops topics.
We were thrilled to have four representatives from our Grants & Workforce Initiatives team there to speak with attendees. In addition to general attendees, several grantees and employers of our competitive grants attended and stopped by our booth.
Individuals in the photo right:
* Front (Left to Right): Megan FitzGibbon & Cha Her
* Back (Left to Right): Jacquelynn Mol Sletten & Laura Benson
OHE in the news
* At SHEEO Conference, State Leaders Plot a Way Forward [ [link removed] ]
* EDITORIAL BOARD: A win-win program for Minnesota students, colleges [ [link removed] ]
* Paralysis fundraising helps, but government funding remains key [ [link removed] ]
* A win-win program for Minnesota students, colleges [ [link removed] ]
* College receives inclusivity grant [ [link removed] ]
* Hamline Awarded Grant to Support PAC Program [ [link removed] ]
www.facebook.com/MNOfficeofHigherEd [ [link removed] ] [link removed] [ [link removed] ] [link removed] [link removed]
Questions? Contact us [ [link removed] ]
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