July 30, 2026

Your monthly newsletter with college and career attainment focused professional development, policy updates, and MN data

Updates from MinnesotaCAN

Join the MinnesotaCAN Quarterly Meeting!

This meeting will be held in-person only at the College Possible offices on August 5th from 2-4pm. This meeting's agenda will contain:

- Free Bite-sized Professional Development:

• Intro to Workforce Pell presented by Magnus Noble, Midwest policy fellow at NCAN

• State of College and Career Readiness in Minnesota presented by Wendy Robinson, Assistant Commissioner for Programs, Policy, and Grants at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education

- Introduction to attending members to facilitate collaboration

- First look at our schedule of events for 2026-2027

We will provide snacks and there will be a happy hour to follow at Blackstack Brewing less than a block away to connect and share with colleagues.

Coming up next: More information on Minnesota’s New Standard Financial Aid Offer Letter. Stay tuned!

What we are reading

• Recent National College Attainment Network data reveals record-breaking FAFSA submission rates for the Class of 2026: View full completion report

• This recorded webinar from MHEC explores strategic approaches for implementing Workforce Pell at state and system levels: Watch the implementation session

• Stay informed on the federal student loan modifications that went into effect earlier this month via The Chronicle of Higher Education: Daily Briefing: Parent, part-time, and ‘professional’ loans 

• The Chronicle of Higher Education examines how state-level organizations are addressing concerns regarding federal graduate loan limitations: Analysis of grad-loan caps

• Explore the latest regional data in the June 2026 edition of Minnesota Economic Trends: State of the State report

• Inside Higher Ed highlights the vital connection between career literacy and long-term student outcomes: Strengthening student success

• The Aspen Institute provides insights into advancing workforce-aligned educational pathways for more students: Unlocking student opportunity

Professional Development

Counselor Week: Launching the Application Season with NCAN

August 11 | 2:00-3:00 PM ET (Virtual)

Join representatives from the Common App, the Common Black College Application, and the Coalition for College as they discuss platform updates and share strategies for a successful application cycle.

Register for this free session

Career Data for Educators by Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)

August 24 | 1:00-3:00 PM CT (Virtual) with Tim O’Neil

This presentation is offered for any K-12 and postsecondary education teachers, counselors, deans, administrative staff, and other education support staff who are interested in learning more about those educational and career resources available through DEED's Labor Market Information Office.

Register here

August 25th | 9:00-11:00 AM CT (Virtual) with Tim O’Neil

This presentation is offered for any K-12 and postsecondary education teachers, counselors, deans, administrative staff, and other education support staff who are interested in learning more about those educational and career resources available through DEED's Labor Market Information Office.

Register here

Complimentary Webinar Series - Chronicle of Higher Education Current Trends in Higher Education with Sarah Brown and Rick Seltzer

First Session: July 30 at 12:00 p.m. CT (Virtual)
Second Session: August 27 at 12:00 p.m. CT (Virtual)
Third Session (Live Q&A): September 24 at 12:00 p.m. CT (Virtual)

A single registration secures your spot for the entire monthly series through September.

Webinar: FAFSA 2027-28 - What's New & What You Need to Know with NCAN

August 26 | 1:00pm (Virtual)

Join us for an in-depth webinar covering the latest updates to the 2027–2028 FAFSA form and process. We will highlight important changes to the FAFSA form and application process as well as review enhancements to creating an FSA ID and managing StudentAid.gov accounts.

You'll also receive a comprehensive, step-by-step walkthrough of the FAFSA form and learn about valuable resources available to support you and your students throughout the financial aid process.

Bring your colleagues and your FAFSA questions! Financial aid experts and staff from the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) will be on hand to provide the latest information, share best practices, and answer your questions during a live Q&A.

Free for members and non-members.

Annual Education Summit - Cradle2Career

October 20 | Mayo Civic Center
Instruments of Change - How we play a part
The link for registration will be available in August
They are currently accepting presentation proposals for their partners and community to showcase their important work. Collaboration is encouraged! Submission window for proposals closes Aug 10

Annual Education Summit — Cradle 2 Career

2026 NCAN National Conference

October 5-7 | Las Vegas, NV

This multi‑day gathering brings together thousands of postsecondary access and success practitioners, leaders, and advocates for three days of networking, learning, idea‑sharing, and celebrating the incredible work happening across our field. You won’t want to miss it!

Registration Fees - 2026 NCAN National Conference

We want to hear from you!

Have something we should include in next month’s newsletter? We would love to hear from you! Fill out this form and we will be sure to include your professional development, event, or informative article/resource in our next edition.

mncollegeattainmentnetwork.org/newsletter