Minnesota
This state page integrates student data, economic contributions, state policies, effective practices, and other resources to learn about and better support the state’s undocumented, other immigrant, and international students in higher education.
We classify Minnesota as a Comprehensive Access state in terms of inclusive in-state tuition and state financial aid policies for undocumented students. The Portal tracks state policies for undocumented students on in-state tuition, state financial aid, professional and occupational licensure, and driver licenses.
State Data
Higher education in the U.S. benefits from the participation of immigrant and international students. First and second-generation individuals comprise 31% of all students enrolled in higher education, a growing figure that underscores the importance of immigrant-origin students in the classroom and our workforce.
| All Students in Higher Education in Minnesota | 276,000 |
| First-Generation Immigrant Students | 37,000 |
| Second-Generation Immigrant Students | 38,000 |
| International Students | 14,321 |
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Note: First-generation immigrants were born abroad and immigrated to the U.S. Second-generation immigrants are U.S.-born individuals with at least one immigrant parent. First-generation immigrants include undocumented immigrants. First-generation immigrants do not include international students on a visa. |
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The U.S. is home to more than 408,000 undocumented students enrolled in higher education. In their pursuit of higher education, undocumented students actively ready themselves to fill critical skill shortages and become better positioned to support their families, communities, and the U.S. economy.
| Undocumented Students in Higher Education | 2,845 |
| DACA-Eligible Students in Higher Education | 956 |
| Undocumented Students Graduating High School Each Year | 3,000 |
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Note: Undocumented students are a sub-group of first-generation students. |
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International students comprise only 4 percent of all students in higher education, but provide significant economic, academic and cultural contributions that enrich learning, enrollment and funding opportunities for American students.
| International Students in Higher Education | 14,321 |
| Economic Contributions of International Students in the State | $459.5 million |
| Jobs Supported by International Students in the State | 3,366 |
| Optional Practical Training (OPT) Participants | 2,265 |
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Note: Optional Practical Training participants are a subgroup of international students. |
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Immigrant residents, including undocumented immigrants and DACA-eligible residents, play an important role in the state's economy, contributing spending power and paying federal, state, and local taxes.
| All Immigrant Residents in Minnesota | 501,318 |
| Immigrant Share of Total Population | 8.8% |
| Undocumented Immigrants in State | 72,167 |
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Note: DACA-eligible residents are a sub-group of undocumented immigrant residents. |
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Higher education helps prepare all students, including immigrant and international students, to fill critical career and skills needs.
| State Immigrant Workers Fill Critical Skills Needs | |
| Share of STEM Workers Who Are First-Generation Immigrants | 14.2% |
| Share of Health Aides Who Are First-Generation Immigrants | 25.1% |
| First-Generation Immigrant Faculty and Staff in Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools | 14,619 |
| Share of First-Generation Immigrants With a Postsecondary Credential | 55% |
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Note: First-generation immigrants were born abroad and immigrated to the U.S. |
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You can find additional state data, including by congressional district, in the following resources by immigrant population (AIC) and international students (NAFSA).
State Policies
Evaluating Access for Undocumented & Refugee Students
State policies in four key areas – in state tuition, state financial aid, professional and occupational licensure, and driver licenses – play an important role in expanding access to higher education and workforce development for undocumented students. The section below on in-state tuition also includes policies related to refugee students.
In-State Tuition & State Financial Aid Access and Affordability
Comprehensive Access: Policies provide statewide access to in-state tuition and some state financial aid or scholarships for the state's resident DACA recipients and undocumented students.
Professional & Occupational Licensure Workforce Entry & Eligibility
No State Policy: No policies identified that actively expand access to occupational licensure for individuals who do not have legal immigration status.
Driver Licenses & Identification Mobility
Accessible: Policies provide the state’s undocumented residents with access to driver licenses and/or state identification regardless of their immigration status, but these are not REAL ID compliant.
Enacted Policies
Minnesota provides eligible undocumented and refugee residents, including DACA recipients, with access to in-state tuition and state financial aid. The state does not appear to have legislation that extends occupational and professional licensure to undocumented individuals.
Minnesota provides eligible undocumented residents, including DACA recipients with access to driver licenses and state identification.
The Minnesota Dream Act or also known as the Prosperity Act, was signed into law on May 23, 2013 as part of an omnibus higher education bill, provides the state’s undocumented students, including DACA recipients, with access to in-state tuition. Students must meet certain requirements to access in-state tuition, including:
- Attended a high school in the state for at least 3 years;
- Graduated from a Minnesota high school or earned a GED;
- Registered with the U.S. Selective Service (males 18 to 25 years old); and,
- Provide documentation to show they applied for lawful immigration status, but only if a federal process exists. There is currently no federal process in place for DACA recipients and undocumented students to apply for lawful immigration status, so this documentation is not required at the moment.
Certain public colleges and universities in Minnesota offer access to in-state tuition to all students regardless of their immigration status or state of residence, including students who do not qualify for the Minnesota Dream Act.
Minnesota Senate Bill SF 1236, approved on May 24, 2013, permits students defined as a refugee to be considered as resident students if upon arrival in the United States, they moved to Minnesota and have continued to reside in Minnesota. As a resident student, they then could qualify for the resident tuition rate in state universities and college if they meet the following requirements: 1) high school attendance within the state for three or more years; (2) graduation from a state high school or attainment within the state of the equivalent of high school graduation; and (3) in the case of a student without lawful immigration status: (i) documentation that the student has complied with selective service registration requirements; and (ii) if a federal process exists for the student to obtain lawful immigration status the student must present the higher education institution with documentation from federal immigration authorities that the student has filed an application to obtain lawful immigration status.
Refugee In-State Tuition: Refugees are classified as “resident students” upon resettlement to Minnesota. Minnesota Statutes Sec. 136A.101(8) states: “Resident student” means a student who meets one of the following conditions: (8) a person defined as a refugee under United States Code, title 8, section 1101(a)(42), who, upon arrival in the United States, moved to Minnesota and has continued to reside in Minnesota.”
The Minnesota DREAM Act provides eligible undocumented students, including DACA recipients, with access to state financial aid.
Students may also be eligible for privately funded financial aid through public colleges and universities if they meet the state’s residency requirements.
Minnesota extends financial aid to both public and private postsecondary institutions.
On May 24, 2023 Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed HF 2073 which grants students coming from families making less than $80,000 annually to be eligible for tuition-free public college. Undocumented immigrants in Minnesota will be among those eligible. Scholarships will be awarded to eligible students beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minnesota students from families making less than $80,000 annually.
- Recipients are required to remain in good academic standing.
- Eligible for up to 60 credit hours for those seeking an associate’s degree
- Eligible for up to 120 credit hours for those working toward a bachelor’s degree.
- Undocumented immigrants would need to fill out a Minnesota Dream Act application since they aren’t eligible for FASFA.
Who is Not eligible:
- Families making more than $80,000 annually.
- Students attending private schools will also not be eligible.
- Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree are not eligible for the scholarship.
Minnesota does not appear to have legislation that affirmatively extends occupational and professional licensure to undocumented individuals, including DACA recipients.
Minnesota Professional Licensure Requirements & Business Registration
To learn more about professional/occupational licensure requirements, review TheDream.US & Immigrant Finance Resource guide here.
To learn more about state business and tax registration requirements, review TheDream.US & Immigrant Finance Resource guide here.
The information in these guides is based on outreach to the state’s specific licensing boards and each state’s business and tax agencies from April to July 2023 and is subject to change. To get up to date information on requirements, individuals should verify with the appropriate state agency.
Minnesota has become the 18th state to allow undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses. Minnesota House Bill (H.F.) 4, known as the “Driver’s License for All Bill,” was signed by Governor Walz on March 7, 2023. This bill allows individuals living in the state to obtain a driver’s license and identification card regardless of their immigration status. They must meet all other qualifications for licensure and provide satisfactory proof to the registrar of identity, date of birth and Minnesota residency. The driver’s license would be non-REAL ID compliant and will be implemented October 1, 2023.
DACA recipients in Minnesota are allowed to obtain a driver license or state identification card.
Effective Practices and State Resources
Spotlight on effective practices and policy, research, or community-based state resources.
Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Higher Education (Updated August 2023)
The report’s findings reveal the growing proportion of first and second generation immigrant students in postsecondary education, the diversity of these students, and their importance for future U.S. labor growth.
Continue ReadingReport: The Post-DACA Generation is Here
A new report finds that an estimated 120,000 undocumented students will graduate from high school in 2023, with most of them not eligible for DACA. The new FWD.us report, published in May 2023, The Post-DACA Generation is Here, explains how DACA’s unavailability impacts undocumented youth in the U.S.
Continue ReadingReport: Higher Education and Success for Undocumented Students Start with 9 Key Criteria
Higher Education is the key to achieving social & economic mobility in the U.S. The Education Trust analyzed 9 criteria in the 15 states with the largest shares of undocumented college students to determine whether state policies are helping or hurting undocumented students’ ability to access & complete college.
Continue Reading