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Otto Bremer Trust awards Metropolitan State University $75,000 for the Student Success Program

Posted January 10, 2019

Otto Bremer Trust logo

The Otto Bremer Trust recently awarded Metropolitan State University Foundation $75,000 for the Student Success Program, which provides scholarships for students who are near graduation but have reached their lifetime limit for Pell Grant awards.  

We are grateful that the Otto Bremer Trust shares Metropolitan State University’s vision for building a vibrant community. Metropolitan State University’s diverse and non-traditional students go on to serve and lead our region’s businesses, community organizations, and families. They work hard to get to their graduation day. However, if they have exhausted federal financial assistance, Metro State students often struggle or delay reaching their education goals. The Otto Bremer Trust’s contribution to the Student Success Program will ensure many low-income students can finish their degree on-time.

The Metropolitan State University Foundation began awarding Student Success assistance in the fall of 2018. To date, 35 students have been awarded $35,000 through the Program. Seventy-one percent of the students served by this program are students of color, and all are low-income.  

The generous contribution of the Otto Bremer trust is a partial match to funds committed by the Katherine B. Andersen Foundation. If you’d like to contribute to the Student Success Program and have your gift matched, please visit our giving website

If you could benefit from the Student Success Program, applications for assistance during the Fall 2019 semester will open in March 2019. Please check the Metropolitan State University scholarship webpage at that time. To be eligible for the Student Success Program applicants:

  • Must be a returning undergraduate student seeking a first degree at Metropolitan State University.
  • Must be in good academic standing and not have academic or financial aid warning, probations, or suspension.
  • Must not be in default of payment of prior student loans and/or owe an overpayment of a grant or loan.

For the semester they are seeking funding, the applicant must:

  • Be enrolled for at least three credits at Metropolitan State University.
  • Be Pell Grant-eligible based on FAFSA results, but not receive Pell Grant funding. (The FAFSA, Free Application for Student Aid, form is used to determine a current or prospective college student’s eligibility for financial aid.)

Each selected student receives a monetary award that is applied directly to their student account to pay for tuition and fees. This financial assistance is renewable for students that have more than one semester to complete.