September Newsletter: big updates for Minnesota

September 30, 2026

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

Updates from MinnesotaCAN

Mon, Sep 14

Stronger Together: How CBOs and Colleges Are Working to Support Student Success

Students are best served when community-based organizations and higher education institutions work as partners.

Tue, Sep 29

Member Spotlight: Colin Peters, Saint Paul Public Schools

When I sat down to talk with one of our members, Colin Peters, one thing was very clear: his belief in students.

Minnesota Office of Higher Education

Calling all students and families: Minnesota is exploring possible changes to how it distributes state financial aid, and policymakers want to hear directly from you!

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) is working with Bellwether Consulting to learn more about what students and families like yours think about state financial aid. We want to hear from you, even if you aren’t familiar with state financial aid programs or aren’t sure if you’ll qualify. Your feedback will help Minnesota make decisions about how financial aid should work and who should qualify, so all perspectives are valuable! Learn more about this work here.

Here's what's involved:

- Who should take this survey: Current high school students, current college students, and/or parents/guardians of current high school and college students.
- Take the survey here: https://www.research.net/r/OHE26_SF
- Time: 5-10 minutes
- Anonymous: Your responses are anonymous and we don’t collect names
- Deadline: October 23, 2026
- OHE and Bellwether are committed to hearing from as many voices as possible, so you may receive information about this survey more than once. We ask that you only complete the survey one time.

Have things from your organization to share?

In the spirit of collaboration and shared learning, MinnesotaCAN would love to help highlight things that could be applicable to other members. This includes things like:

Workshops, webinars, or trainings
Scholarship announcements
New tools, resources, or research
Events that support student success, equity, and access

Go to the Newsletter page of our website to send us your resources to help you get the word out!

What we are reading

Professional Development

Minnesota Goes to College Financial Aid Champions Training

September 23rd: FAFSA Part 1 - The Basics
September 30th: FAFSA Part 2 - Special Populations, Complex Situations, and Other Considerations
October 13th: Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application (formerly the MN Dream Act)
October 21st: Running Effective Financial Aid Sessions at Your School
November 4th: Beyond FAFSA - Scholarships, Loans, and Understanding Aid Letters

FAFSA Walkthrough - Uaspire

Mon, Oct 19, 2026 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM CDT

The FAFSA walkthrough walks students and families through the entire FAFSA by section, outlining what information is necessary, detailing common pain points, and discussing how to answer questions. This presentation also gives a bit of insight into what comes after the FAFSA by discussing the financial aid timeline, plus briefly introducing the FAFSA Submission Summary and verification. We also provide opportunities for Q&A and follow-up support.

Who should attend: In this virtual event, uAspire will walk students and families through the entire FAFSA from start to finish, including each contributor section, what you will need to complete the FAFSA, and some additional information about the financial aid process.

Co-teaching Community of Practice with MNOHE

October 8th 3pm CT

These co-teaching sessions are for Minnesota educators to connect with colleagues across the state to share challenges and strategies and engage in collaborative problem-solving focused on co-teaching strategies. This Community of Practice meets virtually and begins October 8. Learn more and register for the first session:

2026 Cradle2Career Annual Education Summit

Tuesday, October 20 • 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Mayo Civic Center Rochester, MN

"Instruments of Change: How We All Play A Part"

We're bringing together people from all walks of life who care about educational outcomes in Rochester - including teachers, parents, business leaders, community members, youth-serving organizations, and students. Together, we'll explore exciting ways to support our young people from early childhood to their careers.

What's in it for you?

Hear inspiring stories of local success
Share your ideas for improving educational outcomes
Connect with others who are passionate about our community's future
Enjoy a day of learning, networking, and free lunch

Whether you're an education professional or simply care about Rochester's youth, there's a place for you at our summit. Come be part of the change!

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