CollegeBound Boost  

CollegeBound Saint Paul Logo

The City of Saint Paul is launching a new initiative called CollegeBound Boost to expand Saint Paul’s guaranteed income and college savings programs. Led by the Saint Paul Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE), the goal of this demonstration is simple, get cash to families to help you achieve economic security and buy the things you need—food, housing and other essentials—while also helping you provide for your child’s future.

OFE and researchers from the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work are partnering with Pan Atlantic Research to conduct the CollegeBound Boost Study. The study will test new and innovative strategies to provide additional financial supports to families in CollegeBound Saint Paul, the City’s college savings initiative which is providing every child born to a Saint Paul resident on or after January 1, 2020 with a college savings account and a $50 seed deposit.

You were contacted by Pan Atlantic Research because you have a child with a CollegeBound Saint Paul account. You may be eligible to participate in CollegeBound Boost depending on your address and household income. If you agree to participate in the study, you will be randomly assigned to one of three groups for 24 months. You may receive:

  1. Additional deposits in your child’s CollegeBound Saint Paul account ($250 each quarter for 12 months for a total of $1,000); or
  2. Additional income of $500 a month for 24 months plus additional deposits of $250 each quarter for 12 months in your child’s CollegeBound account; or
  3. Continue to be in CollegeBound Saint Paul with the current $50 seed deposit and opportunities to earn bonuses. 

No matter what group you are randomly assigned to, all participants in CollegeBound Boost will have the opportunity to earn $120 in gift cards. You will receive a $40 pre-paid VISA gift card for participating in the study, and will receive additional $40 gift cards after completing surveys at 12 and 24 months after enrolling in the study.

Who is eligible for CollegeBound Boost? 

CollegeBound Boost Income Guidelines

Participants will be randomly selected from families who meet the following:

  • be the parent or guardian of a CollegeBound Saint Paul beneficiary: a child born to a Saint Paul resident on or after January 1, 2020;
  • be a current resident of Saint Paul; and
  • verify that the household’s income is at or below the program’s income eligibility guidelines (see Table 1) 

How do I sign up for the CollegeBound Boost study?

  1. If you would like to sign up,, you will consent to participate in the study and answer a few questions to verify your eligibility. To sign up, you will need to enter your child’s birthdate and Participant Code that are listed on the brochure you received from Pan Atlantic Research.
  2. After you submit the form, Pan Atlantic Research will contact you by email, text or phone to let you know whether you qualify for the study and confirm your participation in the study.
  3. The City of Saint Paul will contact you with additional instructions to enroll in CollegeBound Boost based upon the group to which you have been randomly assigned.

Enrollment in CollegeBound Boost is closed as of July 7, 2023

If you have questions about CollegeBound Saint Paul or your child’s account, contact OFE at 651-266-8829 or collegebound@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Sign up for CollegeBound Boost in Multiple Languages

Study ID: HUM00221771   IRB: Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences   Date Approved: 10/26/2022

Last Edited: July 12, 2023