This scholarship program was founded through the generosity of Terry and Patt Payne to identify promising MSU juniors and seniors from Montana hometowns. The goal of this program is to offer Montana’s Own Scholars additional opportunities that will shape their promise and potential and allow them to GRADUATE WITH PURPOSE.


Shaping the problem solvers and leaders of tomorrow.
MONTANA’S OWN


You call Montana home. You graduated from a Montana high school and that experience – whether you were one of 5 or 500 students – left you with deep roots and great affection for your home community. That’s why, when it came time to pursue your degree, you chose to stay in the state you love and attend Montana State University.

Today, you are at least halfway to earning your degree. The graduation finish line is right there in front of you– you can envision the date, the ceremony, the pride in your immense accomplishment. Yet, between now and then, there are unknowns to discover, answers you seek, and plans to make.

This is the time when many college students are asking themselves:

How do I use my degree to create a career with purpose?

What is my plan for paying off my student debt?

How do I feel more connected to fellow students and the MSU community?

How do I achieve my target GPA while staying resilient and focused?

How do I learn from others and create a professional network?

Introducing the Montana’s Own Scholarship Program

Imagine a program that is designed to answer those questions, and, in the process, give youthe real-world skills and relationships you need to not just graduate, but graduate with PURPOSE. Montana State University is committed to realizing the public land grant mission through innovative practices that nurture promise and shape potential, and the Montana’s Own Scholarship Program is designed to do just that. 

students in lab

Dylan Delay, Scholar and 2023 graduate, presents his Rural Pathway and Practicum research at the 2023 Teach Montana Fair.
 

studying

Walker Ator visits with students from his hometown high school about being an MSU student and Montana’s Own Scholar.

Are you eligible for the Montana’s Own Program? Click here to find out.

Already a scholar? Click here to see events and resources.


In the News

Terry Payne

Terry Payne

Patt and Terry Payne give $6 million to Montana State University for Life Scholars and Montana's Own programs

By Anne Cantell, MSU News Service

https://www.montana.edu/news/22246/Patt-and-Terry-Payne-give -6-million-to-Montana-State-University-for-Life-Scholars-and-Montana-s-Own-programs