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The Office of Higher Education has awarded Lake Superior College with a 2024 Inclusive Higher Education Grant to increase opportunities for all Minnesotans. The $200,000 grant will help college staff develop new or enhance existing initiatives to increase overall enrollment and access for students with an intellectual and developmental disability.
“If we want every Minnesotan to see themselves as college material, then we need to remove any barriers for access,” OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson said. “My hope is that more colleges apply for this grant in the future, and that Lake Superior College can provide best practices for supporting students with intellectual and developmental disabilities that can be shared with campuses across the state.”
The Inclusive Higher Education Grant program was established in 2023 by the Minnesota Legislature. The law recognizes that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve the opportunity to pursue higher education with the same rights, privileges, experiences, benefits, and outcomes as all enrolled students.
Grant applicants may apply annually for and receive awards up to $200,000 annually for up to four years. After those four years, applicants may apply annually for and receive awards up to $100,000 per year in subsequent years for up to ten years of funding.
As a recipient of the grant, Lake Superior College will:
. Adopt the Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education standards aligned with the model Program Accreditation Standards for Postsecondary Education Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities;
. Apply for and obtain the Comprehensive Transition Postsecondary (CTP) Program approval from the US Department of Education. Institutions will apply to amend their Federal Financial Aid application to include inclusive higher education. This opens Federal and State financial aid eligibility for students with an intellectual and developmental disability who go to college in Minnesota at an institution with CTP approval;
. Provide a 25% match for the grant funds, either monetary or in-kind;
. Participate in independent program evaluation requirements;
. Offer enrollment to students with an intellectual and developmental disability;
. Collaborate with the Office of Higher Education, Inclusive Higher Education Technical Assistance Center, and key stakeholders in the development of the inclusive higher education initiative; and
. Join the Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium
In addition to the Inclusive Higher Education Grant program, OHE has partnered with the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota to establish the Inclusive Higher Education Technical Assistance (TA) Center. The TA Center is focused on increasing access and support for self-sustaining inclusive postsecondary education options across the state. The TA Center is focused on:
. Coordinating and facilitating the statewide initiative to expand and enhance inclusive higher education opportunities;
. Providing expertise in inclusive higher education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
. Providing technical assistance to Minnesota institutions of higher education and local education agencies; and
. Providing information to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
