Today, College Possible Minnesota announced they were awarded two grants totaling $370,000 from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) to strengthen college access and persistence support for Minnesota students, particularly first-generation students, students from low-income backgrounds, and student parents.
Through OHE’s Intervention for College Attendance Program (ICAP), College Possible Minnesota received $120,000 to expand programming that helps students prepare for, enroll in, and persist in postsecondary education.
“OHE is committed to ensuring Minnesotans have the support they need not only to enroll in college, but to complete a credential,” says Dennis Olson Jr., Commissioner of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. “Programs like ICAP and the Student Parent Support Initiative strengthen that pathway by addressing real challenges, from the summer transition into college to the high cost of child care for student parents.”
This year, College Possible Minnesota piloted its Bridge to Success program, connecting college-bound high school seniors with an advising specialist once they had committed to a postsecondary plan. As a result, spring engagement with graduating seniors more than doubled compared with the prior year. With the new ICAP funding, College Possible Minnesota will build on that momentum to reduce summer melt and deepen support for the Class of 2026 and beyond.
College Possible Minnesota also received $250,000 through the Office of Higher Education’s Student Parent Support Initiative (SPSI) to provide direct, targeted support for student parents who often struggle to stay enrolled because of the high cost of child care.
In Minnesota, the average annual cost of infant child care is about $22,000, among the highest in the country. That expense can quickly overwhelm students balancing school, parenting, and work.
BG Tucker, executive director of College Possible Minnesota, stresses that despite doing everything in their power to stay on track toward their degree, student parents have an added layer of complex challenges, costs and logistics related to child rearing and childcare that can derail college plans in an instant. “This funding is critical because it allows us to intervene at the most fragile pivot points: the summer transition for high school seniors, and the financial reality of childcare for student parents. The Office of Higher Education’s investment ensures we can meet students where they are, helping us close the gaps where we see students fall through the cracks,” she says.
The SPSI funding will help College Possible Minnesota provide practical assistance that comes through often at pivotal moments. Carol, a College Possible student and parent to an eleven-month-old, has been unable to work while student teaching during her final semester at Metro State University. With this support, she can focus on graduating while continuing to care for her child.
Another College Possible student, Eli’Sha, is a senior at Augsburg College and parent of a two-year-old, and emphasizes how these funds keep her on track. “College Possible has been a steady source of guidance and encouragement throughout my academic journey. The additional grant funding has eased financial stress, allowing me to focus more fully on my coursework while still providing for my child. This support is not just helping me stay enrolled. It’s helping me move confidently toward completing my degree and building a stable future for my family. I’m deeply grateful for the investment in student parents like me, because it truly makes continuing higher education possible.”
College Possible is committed to expanding higher education access and improving persistence rates for those in college. “Students can do everything right, get accepted, commit to college, and still face complexities that can derail their plans before the first day of class,” says BG Tucker, executive director of College Possible Minnesota. “This investment helps ensure more students make a confident transition from high school to college, with timely guidance at the moments that matter most.”
Since launching direct student aid in 2019, 91% of College Possible emergency aid recipients have graduated or persisted. The SPSI grant will allow College Possible Minnesota to expand that support, especially for student parents facing steep financial roadblocks.
About College Possible Minnesota
College Possible Minnesota has helped more than 17,330 first-generation and students from low-income backgrounds earn access to college and persist to a degree since 2000. The organization provides eligible students with near-peer coaching and expert advising, paired with an evidence-based curriculum that addresses the most common challenges to college access and completion—at no cost to students or their families. One of the largest college access and success organizations in the country, College Possible delivers nationally recognized, evidence-based programs. Compared with peers from similar backgrounds, College Possible students are three times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree. Headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the organization operates regional sites in Austin, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington, as well as Catalyze partnerships in California, Minnesota, New York and Tennessee. Learn more at CollegePossible.org/Minnesota.
