Top 5 Things You Should Know about Workforce Development Scholarships (WDS)

The Minnesota Legislature has provided millions of dollars in funding for hundreds of $2,500 Workforce Development Scholarships (WDS) at the 30 community and technical colleges of Minnesota State.  WDS are specifically for programs in the high-demand fields of:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Agriculture
• Health Care Services
• Information Technology
• Early Childhood Education
• Transportation.

$2,500 is more than 40% of the average annual tuition at a Minnesota State Community and Technical Colleges!

Here’s what you should know:

1. You should know how many scholarships are available in your sector at your institution. Every school is given a significant amount of autonomy regarding the distribution of WDS.  It’s important that your sector is adequately represented!  Reach out to your school’s WDS Campus Contact for these details.  (a link to WDS Campus Contacts is below)

2. You should know your school’s link to online forms, deadlines, and eligibility requirements. Deadlines vary by each individual institution! Not all institutions are using the same application criteria, so be sure to understand the differences.  (a link to each institution’s WDS webpage and WDS eligibility requirements is below)

3. You should know what your recruiters are doing to promote WDS.  Do they have flyers already made, and do you also have some to share with prospective students? You are an important part of promoting this program to students! Don’t forget to mention WDS to high school teachers, parents, family members, civic organizations, industry partners, and even current students!  There are free promotional materials for institutions to use.  (a link to WDS promotional templates is below)

4. You should know if your individual program is eligible. Many programs are obviously eligible, but because of the uniqueness of certain programs, and the breadth of sector classifications, your program might have been overlooked!  If your program is not eligible, but you believe it should be, reach out to your WDS Campus Contact, or to a Systems Office Contact, to learn more.  (a link to Systems Office Contacts is below)

5. You should know all the web links referenced above! Here you go!

• Eligibility Requirements and links to each Institution’s WDS Webpage
• Campus Contacts, Promotional Templates, Systems Office Contacts, and much more
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