Today is the day that you can apply for an Early Learning Scholarship through the MN Department of Education. The funds are available for students, aged three to five, with the highest needs in order to improve school readiness for all young children. Up to $5,000 per scholarship will be awarded. Scholarships may be used at any early childhood program participating in the Parent Aware Quality Rating System. The Parent Aware programs from which a family may choose include Head Start, school-based prekindergarten and preschool programs, and child care programs. For more details, see our earlier post on this program.
To ensure balanced distribution of the scholarships, the Minnesota Department of Education spread out the money based on need to the state’s 13 economic development regions. Counties that will have access to scholarships include (Click on each region for a local contact information for families who meet the eligibility requirements):
- Region 1- Norman, Polk and Red Lake
- Region 2 – Beltrami, Clearwater and Mahnomen
- Region 3 – Carlton, Itasca and Saint Louis
- Region 4 – Becker, Douglas and Ottertail
- Region 5 – Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison and Waned
- Region 6E – Kandiyohi and Meeker
- Region 6W – Chippewa, Swift and Yellow Medicine
- Region 7E – Isanti, Mille Lacs and Pine
- Region 7W – Benton, Stearns and Wright
- Region 8 – Lincoln, Lyon and Nobles
- Region 9 – Blue Earth, Brown, Nicollet and Watonwan
- Region 10 – Mower, Olmstead, Rice and Winona
- Region 11 – Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Scott, Ramsey and Washington
Visit the MN Department of Education’s page for links to the applications and more information on Parent Aware programs!
