Eligibility Requirements

  1. Age: Children birth through age 4 are eligible, and 5-year-olds are eligible if they turned 5 after September 1of the current school year. (Children age out of eligibility if they are age 5 on September 1 or are enrolled inand attending kindergarten, whichever is earlier.)
  2. Address: The child resides in Minnesota (they have a Minnesota address.)
  3. Income: The family has a household income equal to or less than 47 percent of the State Median Income OR is receiving assistance from an approved state or federally funded program.

Income Eligibility Requirements

Your household income must be at or below the amount in this chart. This chart is based on the State Median Income and is valid for awards from July 1, 2024 through October 2024. The chart will be updated in October.

 

Family Size Annual Income before Taxes
2 $40,156
3 $49,605
4 $59,053
5 $68,502
6 $77,950
7 $79,722
8 $81,493
9 $83,265
10 $85,037
11 $86,808
12 $88,580
13 $90,351

Priority Populations

Children receive priority status for Early Learning Scholarship funds if they meet one or more of the following criteria. Families must also meet income requirements to be eligible, unless noted below.

  • Are in foster care or have a parent/guardian who is in extended foster care up to age 21 (no income documentation required).
  • Have been referred as in need of child protection services (no income documentation required).
  • Have a parent under age 21 who is pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
  • Have experienced homelessness in the last 24 months.
  • Have a parent currently in jail, prison, detention center or on active supervision.
  • Are in or have a parent currently in a substance use treatment program.
  • Are in or have a parent currently in a mental health treatment program.
  • Have experienced domestic violence.
  • Currently have an individualized education program (IEP, ages 3 to 5) or an individualized family service plan(IFSP, ages birth to 3).