NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE
SMSU has announced a number of new programs in place to make a college education even more achievable. Students benefit from scholarships, low-tuition, and new programs aimed at eliminating financial barriers. If students qualify, their tuition could actually be free!
Tuition Freeze
SMSU tuition is frozen through Spring 2025. That means tuition will not change for this year as well as next academic year. Students and parents can confidently plan for the cost of attending SMSU with no surprises. SMSU’s tuition is already a great value, plus the same tuition rate is available to everyone regardless of where they are from.
The North Star Promise
Beginning in Fall 2024, the North Star Promise (NSP) Scholarship Program creates a tuition- and fee-free pathway to higher education for eligible Minnesota residents. As a “last-dollar” program, NSP covers the balance of tuition and fees that remain after other scholarships, grants, stipends, and tuition waivers have been applied. This program is funded by the Minnesota State Legislature through the Office of Higher Education. For further details, visit www.SMSU.edu/go/free.
President’s Regional Scholars
The President’s Regional Scholars program makes additional scholarships available to outstanding students from any of our partner high schools in the 19-county area. Exceptional students are personally invited to participate in Southwest Scholars Day to compete for one of the full-ride scholarships available.
The Southwest Guarantee
The Southwest Guarantee is our guaranteed scholarship program for new on-campus, first-year students. If they meet the required GPA or ACT level, their scholarship is guaranteed. Students with a GPA of 3.9+/ACT of 30+ are guaranteed a $10,000 scholarship. Students with a GPA of 3.6-3.89/ACT of 2829 receive $8,000. GPAs of 3.3-3.59/ACT of 25-27 receive $6,000. Students with a GPA of 3.0-3.29/ACT of 21-24 are awarded $4,000 and GPAs of 2.75-2.99/ACT of 20 are guaranteed $2,000. These scholarships are distributed over four years. Students in the top two tiers are eligible to compete for one of our full-ride scholarships at the Southwest Scholars Day.
Awards & Scholarships
The SMSU Foundation offers a variety of scholarships and awards for incoming students. The awards are subject to change annually. For a complete list, visit smsu.awardspring.com. SMSU’s scholarship program differs from most by requiring only ONE general application form that students complete in order to apply to most available scholarships. Contact the SMSU Admission Team for help exploring the opportunities available by emailing Admission@SMSU.edu.
SMSU Transforms Facilities Use with Lease of Social Sciences Building After extensive study of space allocation and use assessment, Southwest Minnesota State University determined it is in the best interest of the institution to lower the square footage of campus by leasing the Social Science (SS) building to a third party. The Social Science building was identified as an underutilized space, but also one with a significantly large maintenance backlog. A 20-year lease agreement was reached with Southwest/ West Central Service Cooperative to occupy the Social Science building. The affected offices and their new locations include: • Social Science Department Office and Faculty (Anthropology, Geography, History, Indigenous Nations & Dakota Studies, Justice Administration/Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice,
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Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology): SS to Charter Hall (CH) • Veterans Center/Veterans Club Office: SS to Bellows Academic (BA) • Accessibility Services (formerly Disability Services): BA to Individualized Learning (IL) • Nursing Department, Programs and Faculty: Science and Technology (ST) to BA • Programs and Faculty in North Star Mutual School of Business: (Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and MBA): CH to ST The Museum of Indigenous Americans, previously located in SS, will open at a later date in the Science and Math (SM) building.
