Procedure 5.10.02

Part 1. Purpose

To establish principles and processes in the funding and awarding of scholarships by the College.

Part 2. Definitions  

The following definitions apply to this procedure:

Awarding Unit: The business unit within the College that is responsible for determining scholarship recipients.

Dream Act Application:  The State of Minnesota (MN) Dream Act is a way of establishing residency. A student, other than a “non-immigrant alien” that attends a Minnesota high school for at least three years, graduates from a Minnesota high school or earns a GED in Minnesota and, if male and ages 18-25, registers with the U.S. Selective Service, can establish residency. (Minnesota Office of Higher Education definition). “Non-immigrant aliens” are individuals and the members of their immediate family who are in the United States for purposes of studying (student VISA), temporary work (work VISA) and pleasure travel (visitor VISA).

First-dollar scholarship: a scholarship, often funded by a private donor to the College, that is paid before financial aid considerations.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): An application by which the federal government determines a student’s eligibility for federal grants, work-study, and loans.

Last-dollar Scholarship: a scholarship that is applied to unpaid eligible balances after federal and state grants are applied to the student record.  Generally requires the completion of the FAFSA application.

Scholarship: A grant or payment made to support a student’s education; awarded based on academic or other distinction.

Scholarship Workgroup: A college working group, facilitated by Student Affairs, that provides guidance and recommendations to the College’s President’s Council around fundraising priorities. This group is tasked with improving the transparency and accessibility of the College’s scholarship process.

The workgroup will be comprised of one representative from the following College departments:

• Business Office
• Enrollment Management
• Equity and Inclusion
• Minneapolis College Foundation.

Part 3.  Budget and Planning

The Foundation solicits and receipts scholarship funds on behalf of the College and manages the College’s alumni network. Before the end of the fiscal year (June), the Foundation will prepare annual fundraising reporting for the President’s Council. The Foundation will annually provide updated scholarship balances to Student Affairs in the spring and through the duration of the awarding cycle. Awards will be made to the extent of available funds.

Faculty/Staff/Programs may request scholarship funding through an annual request process facilitated by Student Affairs that will take place every October for the following fiscal year. The scholarship funding requests will be presented to the scholarship workgroup. Scholarship request review process guidelines:

• The scholarship dollar requesting process will take place every October.
• All requests will follow the same template that may include the following questions:
  • Connection to a college strategic priority
  • Estimated enrollment impact.
  • First-dollar scholarship requests must include cost/student analysis and term persistence.
  • Last-dollar scholarship requests must include cost/student, one-year retention, and three-year graduation percentages, compared to Minneapolis College's baseline.

The Foundation, Institutional Effectiveness, and Student Affairs will collaborate to provide regular reporting on the disbursement of scholarships and their impact on students.

Part 4. Awarding of Scholarships

1. All scholarships awarded by the College are annualized (split in half between two semesters) between fall & spring or spring & summer. Scholarships will be reviewed by the scholarship workgroup and awarded based on the designation of the scholarships.
2. First-dollar scholarships will be awarded to students fall and spring semesters, as funds allow.
   • The scholarship application window for first-dollar scholarships for each semester must close a month before the start of the term, to provide a final list of scholarship recipients to the Business Office and Foundation. First-dollar scholarships will be disbursed beginning the third week of each semester.
3. Awarding units managing last-dollar scholarships will award based on their capacity, as funds allow. Departments offering last-dollar scholarships are responsible for:
   • All participants completing a FAFSA or Dream Act application,
   • Award/denial communication, and
   • Having a completed memorandum of understanding with the business office that outlines the following:
     • Description of the program or purpose of the scholarship program
     • Application requirements
     • Participation standards (if applicable)
     • Program structure
     • Fiscal process (the process and timeline identifying when lists of students will be provided to the business office for processing)
4. The business office applies scholarship funds onto student accounts and invoices the Foundation accordingly.

Part 5. Renewals, Exceptions & Deferments

Award recipients must maintain scholarship eligibility during the entirety of the academic year. If the student fails to meet scholarship requirements, the scholarship will not be renewed the second part of the academic year. Students in this situation may submit a “request for exception based on extenuating circumstances” to the scholarship awarding unit.  Decisions made on request for exceptions are not appealable. Students who are awarded in the Fall semester who do not enroll, are eligible to request scholarship deferments to the Spring semester (scholarship annualization as described in Part 4 (above) still applies).

Owner(s) Title: Vice President of Finance and Operations

Date of Adoption: 12/27/2005

Date of Implementation (if different from adoption date): The revisions approved on 12/13/2023 will be implemented with all other financial policy revisions once the final one was approved in May 2025.

Date Last Reviewed: 5/1/2025 (Limited)

History and Subject of Revisions: 5/1/2025 (Limited Review), 12/13/2023 (Comprehensive Review part of revisions to all finance policies. Renamed with substantial revisions to structure and content with some content being incorporated from other policies/procedures. Removed Authority, Delegation, and Compliance sections. Added Purpose; Definitions; Budget and Planning; Awarding Scholarships; and Renewal; Exceptions & Deferments sections. Revision include the addition of greater details and standards to the college scholarship processes.), 6/19/2019, 12/27/2005 (Adopted)

Regulatory Authority (e.g. Minnesota State policy, federal or state law): State of Minnesota Statutes Section 135A.30.