Postsecondary Child Care Grant
Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE)
Helps low-income student parents pay for child care: up to $6,500 per child per academic year.
- How much
- Up to $6,500 per eligible child per academic year
- Who qualifies
- Parent of a child 12 or younger (14 or younger with a disability) in regular paid child care
- Minnesota resident student (or spouse is a Minnesota resident); income-eligible per OHE rules; not receiving MFIP; at least 1 credit at an eligible Minnesota institution; good academic standing; max 10 semesters of the grant.
- For students starting college, undergrads, grad students, adults going back to school
- Need-based: your FAFSA decides how much you get.
- When to apply
- Apply any time School-set deadlines; applications accepted until June 30 at the latest. Renewal applicants who apply by the school's deadline get priority.
- How to apply
- File the FAFSA or Minnesota Dream Act application, then submit the 2026-27 Postsecondary Child Care Grant application (with provider information) to your college's financial aid office
- Each school sets its own first-round deadline
- Renewal students get priority
- What you'll need
- FAFSA + state application
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (ohe.mn.gov), page 2, page 3 and page 4
The details
Pays toward child care for children 12 and under (14 and under with a disability) while the parent attends college. Maximum $6,500 per eligible child for a nine-month academic year (2025-26 manual), prorated by enrollment (full award at 12+ undergraduate credits or 6+ graduate credits; 75%/50%/25% for lower loads) and reduced by Student Aid Index; up to 40 hours of care per week; schools can request a 10% increase for infant care. Available to undergraduate and graduate/professional students enrolled at least 1 credit, for up to 10 semesters. Not available to Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) recipients. Funds go to the child care provider and must be repaid if enrollment drops.
More money from Minnesota
- Minnesota Student Teacher Grants (Shortage Areas and Underrepresented Student Teachers)Up to $7,500 (one-time, for the student teaching term)
- Minnesota State GrantVaries by need and cost; formula uses up to $18,071 (4-year) or $7,340 (2-year) tuition and fees plus a $12,690 living allowance (2026-27), minus family share and Pell
- North Star PromiseUp to 100% of remaining tuition and mandatory fees (last-dollar, no fixed cap)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.