Minnesota to examine rework of college financial-aid servicing

Minnesota is one of 10 states to secure private grant money meant to help simplify applying for college.

Extra dollars in the state will fund the public input process ahead of possible changes to the state's financial aid program. Lumina Foundation is using its philanthropy to spur selected states to either study or implement redesigns of their higher-ed systems in areas such as admissions, financial aid and enrollment.

Minnesota was awarded $100,000, and Wendy Robinson, assistant commissioner for programs, policy and grants at the state Office of Higher Education, said they'll solicit feedback from a wide range of people about which improvements are needed for distributing financial aid.

She said Minnesota's model has its strengths but was developed roughly 40 years ago.

"While it does a lot of things really well, it is not the easiest model to understand," she said. "It's not the easiest model for students and families to be able to predict how much aid they might get."

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She said families knowing how much aid they qualify for before diving deeper into their application can save them a lot of headaches. Robinson said that might compel more first-generation students to take the next step, while preventing current students from dropping out, if they weren't first aware of available aid. After feedback is gathered, the office will send recommendations to the Legislature as early as 2027.

Melanie Heath, strategy director for access at the Lumina Foundation, said these investments represent a push to make the college planning process less about paperwork and more about the aspirations of the student.

"We really want to bring back joy and excitement into the college-going journey and the decision-making process," she said, "because going to college should be one of the more exciting times in your life."

Leaders say they have to meet students where they're at, and a number of them report barriers and complexities in navigating these systems. The initiative is part of a broader national effort to boost post-high school attainment and advance Lumina’s goal of having 75% of working-age adults hold a credential of value by 2040.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.