Normandale Community College is one of three Minnesota State two-year colleges to receive an inclusive Higher Education grant from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
The grant, which is for $200,000, for this fiscal year, is intended to support Normandale’s development of its inclusive higher education pathway program. This program is expected to welcome its first cohort of students with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) to campus in Fall 2026.
Established in 2023, the Inclusive Higher Education Grant Program seeks to increase inclusive postsecondary education opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Minnesota. Inclusive higher education pathways enable students with IDD to have all the rights, responsibilities, privileges, benefits, and outcomes that result from higher education, including academic growth, career advancement, and improved self-determined living.
All grantees must be developing or enhancing a sustainable inclusive higher education initiative that adheres to the Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Standards.
Eligible colleges may be awarded an initial annual grant of up to $200,000 for up to four years and $100,000 for an additional six years. In subsequent years, eligible colleges may annually apply for continuing grants of up to $100,000 for a total of up to 10 years of funding.
“Breaking down barriers to higher education requires increasing accessibility,” OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson said. “I want to thank Lake Superior College, Central Lakes College, and Normandale College for their commitment to supporting students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I look forward to seeing their work to make their campuses a place where all Minnesotans can thrive.”
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