MN HF2177

Office of Higher Education must develop and implement the Minnesota Opportunity Training Grant Program to provide financial assistance to adults enrolling in short-term education and training programs for high-demand occupations paying livable wages.

Applicants must be Minnesota residents who have graduated high school or are 18 years or older and accepted into an eligible training program at a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System institution.

Eligible training programs must be completable in maximum two semesters, lead to occupations with at least four-star demand ratings from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and average wages of at least 175 percent of the federal poverty guideline for a family of three.

Office of Higher Education must award $2,000 grants to up to 2,000 eligible applicants from state appropriations designated for this program.

$4,000,000 appropriated from the general fund to the Office of Higher Education in fiscal year 2013 for the grants, with the program expiring June 30, 2013 (except for three-year outcome reporting requirements).