Minnesota Public Safety Officer's Survivor Grant is sponsored by Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Provides educational benefits to dependent children and surviving spouses of public safety officers killed in the line of duty in Minnesota.

Minnesota Public Safety Officer's Survivor Grant | MN Office of Higher Education Minnesota Public Safety Officer's Survivor Grant The Public Safety Officer's Survivor Grant provides educational benefits to dependent children and the surviving spouse of a public safety officer killed in the line of duty on or after January 1, 1973.

Meet one of the following: A dependent child under the age of 23 before the start of their first enrolled term for the academic year A dependent child under the age of 30 if served on active military duty 181 consecutive days or more and has been honorably discharged or released to the dependent child’s reserve or National Guard unit Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program or a certificate program at an eligible Minnesota institution that participates in the State Grant Program Obtain a Public Safety Officer’s Benefit Fund Certificate issued by the Commissioner of Public Safety Have not received benefits for more than 10 full-time semesters or 15 full-time quarters ( A student who fully withdraws from the institution for active military service or due to a major medical illness may be permitted to an additional semester of grant eligibility ) Eligible institutions include the state universities, the University of Minnesota, public community and technical colleges, schools of nursing and related health professions, private colleges, and private career institutions in Minnesota that participate in the MN State Grant program.

Contact the financial aid office at the school the student plans to attend to confirm if the school participates in the state grant program.

The amount of the award will be based on the number of credits the eligible student is enrolled in for the term/year and cannot exceed: the average full-time tuition and mandatory fees charged by the institution; or the applicable tuition and fee maximum established in law for the State Grant program.

The 2026-2027 full-time tuition and fee maximums are $18,071 for students in a 4-year degree or graduate program and $7,393 for students in a 2-year degree program. *To receive the maximum award amount, undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 15 full-time credits per term, and graduate students must be enrolled in at least 6 full-time credits per term.

Student and institution sections of the application must be submitted to the MN Office of Higher Education by the priority deadline listed below to be considered for an award. Applications will still be accepted after the priority deadline, but students may be placed on a waitlist depending on the availability of funds. 2026-2027 Public Safety Officer’s Survivors Grant Application will be available in late July 2026.

Priority Deadline: August 31, 2026 Applicants must provide the Financial Aid Office at the institution where they attend the complete student section of the application and (for first-time applicants) a copy of the Public Safety Officer’s Benefit Fund Certificate. The Financial Aid Office will complete the institution section of the application and submit all required documents to the MN Office of Higher Education.

Awarded students will be notified by the institution. The eligibility certificate can be obtained from: Minnesota Department of Public Safety Returning students who continues to meet the eligibility requirements must reapply for the grant each academic year as instructed in the “How to Apply” section.

Also consider the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship This is a federal financial aid program for students whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while performing as a Public Safety Officer. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office at the institution the student plans to attend to determine eligibility.

A Pell-eligible student who is under the age of 24 or enrolled at a postsecondary institution at the time of the parent's or guardian's death. Eligible students can continue to receive the maximum Pell Grant in subsequent award years if the student has a Pell-eligible Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is calculated when a student completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

How Much Money Can You Get? The maximum Pell Grant award for a full time student for the 2025-2026 award year is $7,395. What is the Application Process?

Students must complete the FAFSA at https://studentaid. gov and contact the Financial Aid Office at the institution the student plans to attend to determine eligibility. Please provide a detailed description of your question to the email below.

financialaid. ohe@state. mn.

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