North Star Promise Benefitted Over 53,000 Minnesotans During 2024-25 School Year
St. Paul, Minn.— According to a new preliminary report from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE), 53,567 Minnesota students benefitted from the new North Star Promise program during the 2024-25 school year.
“The success of North Star Promise is truly remarkable,” OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson said. “By investing in our students and eliminating the financial barrier of tuition, we are making college possible for more Minnesotans. This preliminary report shows that in the first year of implementation, we exceeded projections for how many people would benefit from the program. I believe North Star Promise is playing a key role in the positive enrollment trends happening across the state and look forward to seeing more students benefit during the 2025-26 school year.”
Fall 2024 marked the first time the new financial aid program was available to Minnesotans. To be eligible, Minnesota resident students must attend a public college, university, or Tribal college in the state and have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $80,000.
For the 2024-25 academic year, eligible resident students were considered for two different scholarships: North Star Promise Base (NSP Base) and North Star Promise Plus (NSP+). The NSP Base award helps cover the cost of tuition and fees, while the NSP+ award is given to an NSP eligible student in the amount of 15% of the Pell Grant amount that student received.
As a “last dollar” program, NSP funding covers the remaining tuition costs after all other gift aid a student qualifies for is applied.
Starting with the 2025 summer semester, NSP+ is no longer being awarded.
A full report for the 2024-25 academic school year is expected in early 2026. According to the preliminary report, OHE saw the following:
Number of Students Receiving North Star Promise and North Star Promise Plus
| |
Fall Term (2024)
|
Spring Term (2026)
|
Summer Term (2025)
|
Total
|
|
NSP Base
|
15,647
|
15,356
|
9,971
|
40,974
|
|
NSP+
|
45,469
|
43,595
|
0
|
89,064
|
|
NSP and NSP+
|
9,556
|
9,229
|
0
|
N/A
|
|
Unique Awards
|
42,493
|
40,493
|
9,971
|
53,567*
|
*The unique number of students receiving either NSP Base or NSP+ for 2024-25 academic year. Eligible students may receive NSP funding each semester.
Total North Star Promise Funding Awarded
|
|
Fall Term (2024)
|
Spring Term (2026)
|
Summer Term (2025)
|
Total
|
|
NSP Base
|
$28,047,852
|
$27,943,904
|
$14,339,563
|
$70,331,319
|
|
NSP+
|
$19,475,026
|
$18,430,670
|
$0
|
$37,905,696
|
|
Amount Awarded (Combined)
|
$47,522,877
|
$46,374,575
|
$14,339,563
|
$108,237,015
|
Average Amount Awarded to Minnesota Resident Students
| |
Fall Term (2024)
|
Spring Term (2026)
|
Summer Term (2025)
|
Average For All Terms
|
|
NSP Base
|
$1,793
|
$1,820
|
$1,438
|
$1,716
|
|
NSP+
|
$428
|
$423
|
$0
|
$426
|
Read the full preliminary report here.
For more information on North Star Promise, visit the Minnesota Office of Higher Education website.
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