MDE Awards $5 Million in Student Support Personnel Grant Funding to Minnesota Universities (11/25/24)

MINNEAPOLIS – Today, the Minnesota Department of Education announced that 13 programs at Minnesota universities were awarded at total of $5 million in Student Support Personnel Workforce Pipeline Program grant funding to be used to support students pursuing licensure as student support personnel in order to expand the student support personnel workforce in Minnesota.

Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Legislature created the Student Support Personnel Workforce Pipeline grant program in 2023. MDE awarded the first round of $4 million in funding to 10 grantee programs in spring 2024.

Today’s awards include grants to six new programs, and additional funding to seven programs that were awarded funding in the first round this spring. The additional funds will allow programs to expand their offerings or serve more students than previously proposed.
The program aims to support students in completing accredited programs and becoming licensed school psychologists, school nurses, school counselors and school social workers. The program also aims to increase the number of student support personnel providers who identify as people of color or Indigenous.

The universities will use the funds to cover the cost of attendance, provide resources for practicum or relevant required field service, and to provide direct support for students.

The universities will also develop strategies for recruitment and retention of Black, Indigenous and people of color to programs that prepare students as school nurses, school social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. They will work with the Minnesota Department of Education on training, technical assistance and coaching to create recruitment and retention strategies that are culturally responsive, antiracist and equitable.

New grantee programs include:

University of Minnesota Twin Cities – School Social Work, School Counseling
Bethel University – School Social Work
Metro State University – School Social Work
College of St. Scholastica – School Social Work
St. Catherine’s University – School Nursing

Programs awarded additional funding include:

Augsburg University – School Social Work
Minnesota State University, Mankato – School Social Work, School Psychology and School Counseling
Minnesota State University, Moorhead – School Social Work and School Psychology
St. Cloud State University – School Social Work

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