How To Get Free College in Minnesota 2027

Historically, Minnesota has been one of the more expensive states for college in the United States. However, the state government, along with several colleges and universities, has taken steps to make college more affordable.

The North Star Promise Scholarship, launched in fall 2024, created a tuition-free path for Minnesota residents with family income under $80,000, but it isn’t the only program available. The Minnesota State Grant, institutional promise programs, and tribal tuition programs all help bring costs down. Students can also look into tuition-free online colleges in Minnesota.

Keep reading to learn how to get free college in Minnesota.

Is Community College Free in Minnesota?

Community college isn’t automatically free in Minnesota, but for many residents it costs nothing out of pocket.

The main reason is the North Star Promise Scholarship, a last-dollar program covering tuition and required fees remaining after other grants, scholarships, stipends, and waivers are applied. It’s available at all Minnesota public colleges and universities and at the state’s tribal colleges, and it has no age limit, so returning adults qualify alongside recent graduates.

One thing to plan around: North Star Promise covers tuition and fees only. Books, supplies, housing, food, and transportation remain your responsibility, so budget for those separately even if your tuition bill reaches zero.

Who Qualifies for Free College in Minnesota?

Requirements differ by program, but Minnesota’s main pathway has a clear threshold.

North Star Promise requires Minnesota residency and a family adjusted gross income below $80,000, a figure set in state law based on Minnesota’s median family income. You also need to attend a Minnesota public institution or tribal college, be enrolled in at least one credit, maintain satisfactory academic progress, not already hold a bachelor’s degree, and not be in default on a student loan.

The Minnesota State Grant uses a need formula rather than a flat income cutoff, and several institutions run their own programs with different thresholds. Filing the FAFSA or the Minnesota Dream Act Application is what puts you in consideration for all of them.

Minnesota funds several programs that reduce or eliminate tuition. Most can be combined, and all of them start with one of two applications.

North Star Promise Scholarship

North Star Promise creates a tuition- and fee-free path for eligible Minnesota residents. It’s a last-dollar program, covering the balance of tuition and required fees after scholarships, grants, stipends, and tuition waivers are applied. There’s no age restriction, and both new and returning students qualify.

Coverage runs up to 120 credits, enough for a bachelor’s degree. Students with the highest need may also receive North Star Promise Plus funds when money is available, including some students whose other aid already covers tuition and who therefore receive no base award.

Two recent changes matter. OHE has set a mandatory priority application deadline of June 1, 2026 for the 2026-2027 school year because of a projected spending deficit, and eligible tuition no longer includes tuition differentials or surcharges. Check OHE’s page for the current cycle’s deadline before you file.

• Who qualifies: Minnesota residents with family adjusted gross income below $80,000, enrolled in at least one credit in a program leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate, who maintain satisfactory academic progress, haven’t earned a bachelor’s degree, and aren’t in default on a state or federal student loan
• Eligible institutions: All Minnesota public colleges and universities, including every University of Minnesota and Minnesota State campus, plus the state’s tribal colleges
• How to apply: File the FAFSA or the Minnesota Dream Act Application by the priority deadline; there is no additional application, and your college assesses eligibility term by term

Minnesota State Grant

The Minnesota State Grant helps students from low- and moderate-income families pay for college. Unlike North Star Promise, it uses a need formula weighing family income, family size, and the cost of your institution rather than a single income cutoff, and it can be used at private colleges and career schools as well as public ones.

The grant can’t be used at out-of-state schools. Because it’s applied before last-dollar awards, students often receive a State Grant and a North Star Promise award in the same term, with the State Grant reducing the balance NSP then covers.

• Who qualifies: Minnesota residents enrolled as undergraduates in at least three credits who demonstrate financial need, haven’t already earned a bachelor’s degree, aren’t in default on a student loan, and aren’t more than 30 days behind on child support
• Eligible institutions: More than 100 Minnesota institutions, including public universities, private non-profit colleges, community and technical colleges, tribal colleges, and licensed career schools; OHE publishes the current list
• How to apply: File the FAFSA, or the Minnesota Dream Act Application if you’re undocumented; there is no separate application for this program

Minnesota Dream Act

The Minnesota Dream Act lets undocumented students who meet state residency requirements access state financial aid, including the Minnesota State Grant and North Star Promise, through the Minnesota Dream Act Application instead of the FAFSA.

Students file one application or the other, never both. The same program deadlines apply.

• Who qualifies: Undocumented students who meet Minnesota residency and high school attendance requirements under the Dream Act
• Eligible institutions: The same Minnesota institutions that accept the State Grant and North Star Promise
• How to apply: Complete the Minnesota Dream Act Application through the Office of Higher Education rather than the FAFSA

Tips for Making College Affordable

State programs do the heavy lifting in Minnesota, but a few habits make a real difference.

File Early, and Watch the North Star Promise Deadline

Minnesota historically had no firm cutoff for North Star Promise, but a projected funding shortfall changed that, with a mandatory priority deadline of June 1, 2026. Deadlines tied to funding pressure can shift between cycles, so check OHE’s page rather than assuming last year’s date still applies. File the FAFSA or Minnesota Dream Act Application as soon as it opens.

Budget for What Tuition Programs Don’t Cover

North Star Promise covers tuition and required fees, not books, supplies, housing, food, or transportation. Students often find their tuition bill at zero and still face several thousand dollars in other costs. Ask your financial aid office about the Minnesota State Grant, Pell, and institutional aid that can be directed toward those expenses.

Stack State, Federal, and Institutional Aid

Because North Star Promise is last-dollar, other gift aid doesn’t reduce what you receive overall — it changes which source pays. A student with a Pell Grant and a Minnesota State Grant may receive a smaller NSP award but the same zero tuition bill, and may also qualify for North Star Promise Plus. Apply for everything rather than assuming one award cancels another.

Check Tribal and Local Promise Programs

Minnesota has tuition programs specifically for citizens of its 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations, and several communities run local promise programs tied to specific school districts. These can cover costs the statewide programs don’t, including books. Ask your college’s financial aid office which local programs it participates in.

Talk to a Financial Aid Advisor

Minnesota’s programs interact in ways that are hard to predict from program pages alone, particularly how State Grant, North Star Promise, and institutional awards stack. Financial aid staff can also flag awards with separate applications and earlier deadlines. One conversation before you register usually surfaces more than hours of searching.

Tuition-Free Colleges in Minnesota

A few colleges and universities in Minnesota offer additional tuition-free programs beyond the Minnesota State Grant and the North Star Promise Scholarship Program. We've broken them down below.

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota system has five campuses: Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris, Crookston, and Rochester. It runs several programs under its Promise umbrella.

Promise Plus covers the full cost of tuition for Minnesota residents with family income of $50,000 or less, for four consecutive years. It applies to fall and spring semesters and doesn’t cover study abroad program costs. The broader U Promise Scholarship extends need-based awards to families earning up to roughly $120,000, with amounts varying by income.

There’s no separate application for either. Minnesota residents admitted to any UMN campus who file the FAFSA are automatically considered.

University of Minnesota Native American Promise Tuition Program

This program provides free tuition for enrolled citizens of Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations whose family income is under $75,000, with substantial discounts for families earning up to $125,000. It covers first-year students and transfer students from tribal colleges.

The Morris campus goes further, offering free tuition to members of any Tribal Nation, a commitment tied to the campus’s history as a former boarding school.

Minnesota State College Southeast

Minnesota State College Southeast is a public technical and community college with campuses in Red Wing and Winona, and it layers local programs on top of state aid.

The Red Wing College Promise covers up to 70 college credits and provides $500 a year toward books and materials. Students must be recent graduates of a Red Wing public high school, be Red Wing school district residents, and have at least a 2.0 average GPA in their junior and senior years or complete an academic success contract. The College Opportunity Program offers comparable support, including the $500 book allowance, to recent graduates who are Winona Area Public Schools district residents.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet is one of Minnesota’s tribal colleges and accepts North Star Promise alongside federal and state aid. Tribal colleges often combine state programs with tribal scholarships and institutional waivers, which can push total costs lower than at other public institutions.

Students should contact the financial aid office directly, since tribal funding sources vary and aren’t always reflected in standard net price calculators.

Minnesota State Universities

Minnesota State’s seven universities — Bemidji State, Metropolitan State, Minnesota State Mankato, Minnesota State Moorhead, St. Cloud State, Southwest Minnesota State, and Winona State — all accept North Star Promise, meaning tuition and fees can reach zero for residents under the $80,000 threshold.

The system also participates in the American Indian Scholars program, under which enrolled members or citizens of any federally recognized tribe or Canadian First Nation can attend a Minnesota State institution tuition-free.

FAQs About Free College in Minnesota

Minnesota’s aid programs changed significantly in 2024, and the rules have continued to shift. These are the questions worth settling.

Is There a Deadline for North Star Promise?

Yes, and this is new. Minnesota originally ran North Star Promise without a firm application cutoff, but because of a projected spending deficit, the Office of Higher Education set a mandatory priority deadline for the 2026-2027 school year.

Because the deadline came from funding pressure rather than statute, it may change from year to year. Check OHE’s North Star Promise page for the current cycle rather than relying on an older date.

Does North Star Promise Cover Books and Housing?

No. North Star Promise covers tuition and required fees only. Books, supplies, housing, food, and transportation are not included, and recent changes also removed tuition differentials and surcharges from what counts as eligible tuition.

Students who need help with those costs should look to the Minnesota State Grant, the federal Pell Grant, and institutional aid, which can be applied more broadly.

Can I Get North Star Promise If My Other Aid Already Covers Tuition?

You won’t receive a base North Star Promise award, since it’s last-dollar and there would be no balance to cover. But you may still qualify for North Star Promise Plus, which directs additional funds to the highest-need students when money is available.

This is worth asking your financial aid office about directly, because students in this situation often assume they’ve been passed over entirely.

How Long Can I Receive Free Tuition?

North Star Promise covers up to 120 credits, which is enough for a bachelor’s degree in most programs. Students pursuing a two-year degree use far less of that allowance and can carry the remainder into a four-year program if they transfer.

The University of Minnesota’s Promise Plus runs for four consecutive years and applies only to fall and spring semesters.

Explore Free and Low-Cost College

Minnesota has moved from being one of the more expensive states for college to one with a clear tuition-free path. Reach out to specific institutions to learn more about the financial aid you may qualify for, and explore the resources on Learn.org to find out more about attending college for free.