News and Events

After a highly successful launch in the 2018 - 2019 academic year, and continued growth in the 2019 - 2020 academic year, Minnesota State dramatically expanded the Workforce Development Scholarship program. For students enrolling fall semester 2020, nearly 2,200 scholarships of $2,500 each were available to students in Minnesota State colleges and universities.

The program, funded by an appropriation from the legislature, offered scholarships of $2,500 to students who enrolled in programs leading to high demand occupations in healthcare services, advanced manufacturing, information technology, transportation, early childhood education, or agriculture. Students enrolled in eligible programs could receive two years of financial support (up to $5,000), plus a third year worth an additional $2,500 if they complete a two-year degree and transfer to one of Minnesota State’s four-year universities. The $2,500 scholarships cover about half the cost of full-time tuition at Alexandria Technical and Community College (ATCC) and other Minnesota State technical and community colleges.

ATCC partnered with area businesses and organizations including Aagard, Alexandria Industries, Brenton Engineering, Douglas Machine, FAST Global Solutions, Ziegler CAT, Polaris Industries, MN Trucking Association, and Douglas County Early Childhood Initiative to provide matching funds of $65,000 to these scholarships. This enabled ATCC to award a total of $180,000 in Workforce Development and matched funds for the 2020-2021 school year, in addition to other scholarships.