Welcome to the Montana State University
Caring for Our Own Program!

Caring for Our Own Program (CO-OP) was founded in 1999 to help improve the quality of health care in Native American/Alaska Native communities by increasing the number of qualified Native American /Alaska Native nurses entering the health profession.

The Caring for Our Own Program (CO-OP) is a supplemental student support program for Native American and Alaska Native students pursuing their nursing degree at Montana State University. CO-OP’s goals are to increase the enrollment of American Indian nursing students in the College of Nursing at Montana State University and build a strong pool of American Indian and Alaska Native nurses who are prepared for practice, management, and leadership to serve Indian Country.