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Scholarships
Top Minnesota scholarships for you
Find Minnesota scholarships that can help you pay for college.
Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
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Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
What are Minnesota scholarships?
Minnesota scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for students living in Minnesota or looking to go to school in Minnesota. Minnesota scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for Minnesota scholarships
Before you apply for Minnesota scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. To qualify for Minnesota scholarships, you’ll most likely need to prove you’re a resident or you’re attending school in that state. Some other common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are Minnesota scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over Minnesota scholarships with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find Minnesota scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find Minnesota scholarships.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search tools like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”
Scholly Scholarships
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Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
Scholarships for Minnesota
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The Scholarships360 $10,000 "No Essay" Scholarship
Due: 6/30/2025
No Essays
$10,000
Minnesota OHE Postsecondary Child Care Grant Program
Due: Varies
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$6,500
Minnesota residents who have a child 12 years old or younger (or 14 or younger if the child is handicapped) and whose family size and income qualify for the Postsecondary Child Care Grant Program. Students must be enrolled 1-12 credits or more per term (undergraduates) or 1-6 credits or more per term (Graduate Studentss). They must not have received child care grant funds for a period of ten semesters or the equivalent. Students who have withdrawn from active military service after December 31, 2002 are given an extra term of eligibility. Students must also not have defaulted on a student loan. Eligible institutions are all public postsecondary schools and private, baccalaureate degree granting colleges and universities located in Minnesota, or nonprofit, two-year vocational schools granting associate degrees. Please visit the award's website or contact the Minnesota Office of Higher Education for more information about the program and the list of eligible institutions.
Sergeant John Basilone Memorial Graduate Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
$3,000
The Sergeant John Basilone Memorial Graduate Scholarship is open for application to a senior undergraduate at any public or private college or university or a graduate thereof who is initiating graduate studies in the United States. Students already attending grad school do not qualify. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Submission of letters of recommendation is optional. If the applicant is being sponsored by a local chapter, a chapter of a family member or a local district, the applicant will be asked to provide the name and email address for the chapter or district contact for the option of attaching a letter of endorsement. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Minnesota State Grant Program
Due: Varies
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$2,603
The Minnesota State Grant Program is open to students Minnesota resident students who are graduates of a secondary school or its equivalent or are at least 17 years of age and will be enrolled as undergraduates for at least three credits at one of more than 130 eligible schools in Minnesota. The grant is limited to students who have not yet attended eight full-time semesters of postsecondary education or the equivalent, students who have withdrawn for active military service or a major medical illness while under the care of a physician after December 31, 2002, are given an extra term of eligibility, and students who have not received a baccalaureate degree. Please visit the award's website for more information.
Major Don S. Gentile Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Transcripts Required
$6,000
The UNICO Foundation will award the Major Don S. Gentile Scholarship to high school seniors at any public or private secondary school who will be attending an accredited campus-based college or university program in the United States. The scholarship will be paid out for up to a maximum of 4 years. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
William C. Davini Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Transcripts Required
$6,000
The UNICO Foundation will award the William C. Davini Scholarship to high school seniors at any public or private secondary school who will be attending an accredited campus-based college or university program in the United States. The scholarship will be paid out for up to a maximum of 4 years. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Minnesota Indian Scholarship
Due: Varies
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$6,000
The Minnesota Indian Scholarship is open to Minnesota resident students who demonstrate financial needs. Students must be one-fourth or more of American Indian ancestry OR an enrolled member or citizen of a federally-recognized American Indian tribe or Canadian First Nation. Students must also meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), not be in default on a federal or state student loan, and must qualify for either a Pell or State Grant. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Minnesota GI Bill Program
Due: Varies
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$15,000
The Minnesota GI Bill Program aims to provide postsecondary financial assistance to eligible Minnesota veterans and service members as well as eligible spouses and children of deceased or severely disabled eligible Minnesota veterans. Recipients must be a Veteran who is serving or has served honorably in any branch of the United States armed forces at any time, or a non-veteran who has served honorably for a total of five credible years or more cumulatively as a member of the Minnesota National Guard or any other active or reserve component of the United States armed forces, and any part of that service occurred on or after September 11, 2001, or surviving spouse or children of a person who has served in the military at any time on, and who has died or has a 100% VA determined permanent and total disability. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Recommendations Required
$1,000
The Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship will be awarded to college students submitting an original short story or essay celebrating their Italian heritage. The candidate must submit an original, titled, unpublished essay or short story. Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, originality, literary merit and suitability for publication. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Submission of letters of recommendation is optional. If the applicant is being sponsored by a local chapter, a chapter of a family member or a local district, the applicant will be asked to provide the name and email address for the chapter or district contact for the option of attaching a letter of endorsement. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Louise Torraco Memorial Scholarship for Science
Due: 4/15/2025
No Recommendations Required
$2,500
The Louise Torraco Memorial Scholarship for Science will be awarded to students currently pursuing a degree in the Physical Sciences including but not limited to Agro-Sciences, Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Physics; or in the Life Sciences including but not limited to Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biology, Botany, Microbiology and Zoology. This program is open to applicants of all ethnicities. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Submission of letters of recommendation is optional. If the applicant is being sponsored by a local chapter, a chapter of a family member or a local district, the applicant will be asked to provide the name and email address for the chapter or district contact for the option of attaching a letter of endorsement. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
What types of scholarships are available for students?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the FAFSA® to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the FAFSA®. To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Here are more tips that can help you understand all there is to know about scholarships and up your chances of winning.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for Minnesota scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
Need more money for college?
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More resources to explore
Tips for writing scholarship essays
Get tips for writing scholarship essays. Learn what makes a good scholarship essay.
Find scholarship resources
Explore our scholarship resources, articles, and guide to get all the tips and tricks to help pay for college.
Fill out the FAFSA®
Learn when and how to apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to maximize your chances of getting federal student financial aid. Get tips now.
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