North Star Promise — Minnesota Office of Higher Education

North Star Promise (NSP) is Minnesota aid that fills the remaining base tuition and mandatory-fee balance after other non-repayable aid. Its last-dollar design explains why a student may meet the rules and still receive little or no NSP: Pell, scholarships, waivers and grants are applied first. The program is for Minnesota residents at public Minnesota institutions and Tribal Colleges; private colleges are not eligible. It does not pay for housing, food, transport or books.

State eligibility includes Minnesota residency; family AGI below $80,000 as reported on FAFSA or the Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application; at least one credit in a degree, diploma or certificate program; satisfactory academic progress; no default on state or federal student loans; and no previously earned bachelor’s degree. The student must attend an eligible public or Tribal College. The 2026–27 deadline was June 1, 2026. Since it has passed, submit the form and promptly ask your college whether it can still review your file or whether funding is exhausted; applying does not guarantee an award.

There is no separate NSP application: file FAFSA if applicable, or the Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application if you cannot use FAFSA. For 2026–27, OHE set June 1 for both forms, partly because of funding limits; requests were approved in order received until funds ran out. Eligibility is reviewed by term, and students must submit a form each year. The program can run for up to four full-time semesters or equivalent for a two-year degree and eight for a four-year degree, subject to academic progress and all other rules.

Ask the aid office for a visible calculation: base tuition, universally mandatory fees, other nonrepayable aid and the remaining NSP amount. Major- or course-specific fees, program surcharges, housing, meals, transport and books are excluded; a “tuition-free” package does not mean the total cost is zero. If outside scholarship aid arrives later, OHE says NSP can be recalculated by term. In May 2026, University of Minnesota students asked whether last-dollar aid would reduce a refund; an August discussion about independent residency reflected uncertainty about the state definition. These are individual cases, but they reinforce the need to confirm the account and documents with the college.

If the benefit is missing, do not assume the system added it automatically. Confirm dependent or independent residency under the state definition, reported income, timely application, enrolled credit, participating school, academic progress and other scholarships. Ask for a written reply and whether NSP is estimated, approved or posted. The college calculates and communicates the award; Minnesota’s Office of Higher Education maintains the rules and lists its St. Paul contact details. Before committing to enrollment, pair the offer with a housing budget and other expenses the program does not cover.