Some schools spent thousands of dollars on decontamination after several brands of coloured sand were recalled last year.
Applications for the one-off grants closed at the end of February.
The ministry told schools they could ask for help with costs including asbestos assessors' reports, disposing of the sand and removing furniture and flooring.
It would not cover the cost of replacing classroom furniture and resources.
The ministry said the grants were for schools whose insurance companies refused to cover them, but schools could apply before they knew if their insurance claims were successful.
The ministry earlier said that a "fixed sum of money" had been set aside for the "one-off, time-limited" support scheme.
Schools needed to complete a survey by December 17 describing the financial impact of the contaminated sand.
Only schools "experiencing financial difficulty" would receive reimbursement for asbestos-testing costs.
Early learning services were not being included in the support scheme, the ministry said, as they were privately owned entities co-funded with government subsidies and parents fees.
