Office of Student Finance

• FAFSA Simplification Update
• We’re presenting on the FAFSA Simplification Project at the OUE General Assembly on December 14.
• We had an all day, in-person “retreat” to prepare for the upcoming software rollout with the IT BA’s. For 2024-25, students will not have to get parents to “sign off” on their lack of support, which is going to require a new process.
• We completed the housing question that will “pop-up” before actual packaging since a housing preference is no longer included on the FAFSA.
• 24-25 financial aid communications have been reviewed and updated in anticipation of the new Student Aid Index that is replacing the expected family contribution (EFC). We’re also reviewing the queries that use EFC.
• We’re still reviewing the parent contributions process for those Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs (grants and loans) since the FAFSA will not allow parents of independent students to complete the FAFSA. 
• American Indian Scholars Program Update
• The State of Minnesota’s new American Indian Scholars Program (AISP) is now available. The program covers tuition and certain fees for eligible Minnesotans who are enrolled members or citizens of any federally recognized tribe or Canadian First Nation.
• The project team is working diligently to finalize the process of posting the funds through third-party billing. Funds should be applied by early December.
• A big shout out to the project team for all of their hard work: Andrew Hill, Carolee Cohen, Caylin Scheff (Crookston), Jana Koehler (Morris), Kari Ellering, Meghan Czarniecki, Nancy Carl (Duluth), Richard Toetschinger, and Sarah Hoegger.
• College of Education and Human Development Grant & Scholarship Funds Update
• OSF worked closely with CEHD on disbursing the following Minnesota Office of Higher Education grants:
• Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship
• The Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship pilot program provides financial assistance to eligible undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing to become teachers, have demonstrated financial need, and belong to racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in the state’s teacher workforce. The University of Minnesota has awarded 36 students the Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship. $171,335 has been disbursed for fall 2023 semester, and $174,669 has been awarded for the spring 2024 semester.
• Minnesota Underrepresented Student Teacher Grant
• The Minnesota Underrepresented Student Teacher Grant provides financial assistance to eligible students who belong to a racial or ethnic group underrepresented in the Minnesota teacher workforce. 9 students have been awarded this grant for fall 2023, and a total of $66,099 has been disbursed.Minnesota Shortage Areas Student Teacher Grant
• The Minnesota Shortage Areas Grant provides financial assistance to eligible students who intend to teach in a license shortage area or rural school district. 4 students have been awarded this grant for fall 2023, and $25,607 has been disbursed.

AACRAO

At this year’s AACRAO annual meeting, the organization honored the memory of former AACRAO president and our wonderful colleague, Tina Falkner. A grant was re-named in her honor in recognition of her endless commitment to supporting the development of higher education professionals. The Tina Falkner Engagement Grant supports continued, in-person engagement at AACRAO meetings so members of committees, caucuses, and/or work groups with a demonstrated financial need can fulfill their professional obligation. Tina was also awarded an AACRAO Honorary Membership.

In honor of Tina’s passion for books and sharing her favorites with others, a Little Free Library will be built in every city of the AACRAO Annual Meeting in her honor. This particular recognition builds off of Tina’s own idea in 2018 to have a traveling Little Free Library at the Annual Meeting. It gives members a chance to share books with the AACRAO community they may have brought with them during their travels. Tina said, “Many of us read when we travel . . . Now when you finish your book on the plane, you can just pick one up here instead of going into an expensive bookstore and find a book to read on the way home.” 

A quote from one of Tina’s favorite books, The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, speaks perfectly to the way Tina showed up in the world and reflects the impact she continues to have, in part, through these AACRAO recognitions: “Them as can do has to do for them as can't. And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”