Montana State University awards millions of dollars in scholarships and waiver awards to new students who enter in the fall of each year. You might qualify for some of this money based on your academic record, financial need, group affiliation, or a combination of the three. If you qualify, some freshman scholarships and awards are automatically awarded when you are offered admission to Montana State University.

It is essential to apply for admission and have your ACT and/or SAT scores sent to Montana State University as soon as possible! Some of these scholarships and awards may only be available for a limited time.

Non-Resident Freshman Achievement Awards
Up to $60,000 ($15,000 per year renewable) will be awarded to non-resident freshmen entering MSU in the fall of 2008. All non-resident achievement awards are renewable!

Resident Freshman University Scholarships
Up to $10,000 ($2,500 per year renewable) will be awarded to Montana freshmen entering MSU in the fall of 2008.

Leadership Awards for new Freshmen entering in the fall of 2008
Montana State University will be offering a limited number of Leadership Awards to new freshmen who will enter MSU in the fall of 2008. To be considered, students must print, complete and mail the Leadership Scholarship Application to MSU Admissions, P.O. Box 172190 by February 15, 2008. Previous leadership experience, activities, honors along with financial need and the amount of other scholarships already awarded by MSU may be considered in selecting recipients. Award amounts will vary from $500 to $2,500.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Awards (for freshman only) >

A limited number of Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Awards will be available to new freshmen for the 2008 academic year. Only legal residents of the following states may be considered for WUE Scholarships at Montana State University in Bozeman: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Fall 2008 Freshman WUE awards are determined on the basis of test score.

* For Fall 2008 MSU WUE Scholarships, the total SAT will consist of the Math and Verbal SAT scores on tests taken prior to March 2005. On tests taken after March 2005, the total SAT will be calculated by using the Math and Critical Reading scores only.

Awards (WUE or Acheivement Awards) at these levels may be adjusted in Architecture (Environmental Design) and Media Theatre Arts (Motion Picture/Video/Theatre and Photography) after the first year.

The first 120 freshmen who apply for admission for the fall of 2008 and meet the parameters above will be offered this award which is worth more then $30,000 over a four year period. WUE award recipients will be billed at a tuition rate which is only 150% of the resident tuition. New freshmen may retain their WUE Award for up to four academic years (8 semesters) as long as they maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and are continuously enrolled as a full time WUE student with the exception of students in Architecture and MTA.

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Achievement Awards and WUE** in High-Demand Programs
Montana State University offers a number of programs for which student interest exceeds the capacity of the programs. These programs are Architecture (including Environmental Design) and Media and Theatre Arts (Motion Picture/Video/Threatre and Photography). The number of incoming students is not restricted, but because of our commitment to maintaining quality in these programs, we restrict the number of the majors after the first year using appropriate measures of student performance—called gates. The detailed requirements for each program are described in the course catalog for those majors.

WUE scholarships and achievement awards at the $5,000, $6,000, and $7,500 per year levels are not available to students once they have passed the academic gates in these high-demand majors. However, students who were receiving these higher level awards will still be eligible for the $4,000 per year achievement award.

** Participating States in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The Presidential Scholarships
The Presidential Scholarships are Montana State University's most prestigious freshman awards, recognizing academic achievement as well as special personal qualities. Up to twenty Presidential Scholarships will be awarded to freshmen entering Montana State University in the fall of 2008. Recipients receive annual tuition fee waivers and generous stipends. Scholars who maintain the required academic standards may expect to have their awards renewed for four years. Presidential Scholars also receive admission to the Honors Program. A cumulative GPA of 3.75 and a composite score of 30 on the ACT or 2000 on the SAT (all 3 scores) are the expected norms for applicants. The application deadline for fall 2008 awards is January 11, 2008.

Transfer Scholarships and Awards - (New for fall 2008)
MSU will be offering a limited number of scholarships and awards to new transfer students who enter MSU in the fall of 2008. See the links below for details.

Non-Resident Transfer Achievement Award
Up to $7,500 will be awarded to new non-resident transfers entering MSU in the fall of 2008.

Resident Transfer University Scholarships
Up to $1,500 will be awarded to new resident transfers entering MSU in the fall of 2008.

College and Departmental New Freshman and Transfers Scholarships
Some academic colleges and departments at Montana State University offer scholarships that reward excellence based solely on academic achievement. If financial need is one of the criteria for a college or departmental scholarship, it will be necessary for students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to March 1. The following is a list of Departmental scholarships.

College of Agriculture
School of Architecture
Media & Theatre Arts
Department of Music
College of Education, Health and Human Development
College of Engineering
College of Letters & Science
College of Nursing
Division of Graduate Education

If your department or college is not included on this list please contact them directly for application procedures and deadlines.

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Audition/Portfolio Review Scholarships
Some scholarship awards are available through music and theatre auditions, art and photograph portfolio review, and screening of videotapes and films. For specific details in these areas, contact the department directly: Music: (406) 994-3561; Media and Theater Arts (406) 994-2484; School of Art (406) 994-4501.

National Merit Scholarships
Students enter annual competition for Merit Scholarships as juniors by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). In September of the participant's senior year, approximately 15,000 are named Merit Program Semifinalists. Only Semifinalists continue in the competition, and they must qualify as Finalists in order to be considered for Merit Scholarships. To be a Finalist, each Semifinalist must meet a number of additional requirements that include being fully endorsed and recommended for Merit Scholarships consideration by the high school principal, submitting SAT scores that confirm their earlier PSAT/NMSQT scores, providing evidence of very high academic performance throughout secondary school, and giving information about their activities and accomplishments outside the classroom. College-sponsored Merit Scholarship recipients are chosen by officials of the sponsor college from among Finalists who report to National Merit Scholarship Corporation that the institution is their first choice. Winners selected by the college must have applied to that institution and be considered admissible by college officials. College-sponsored scholarships are not transferable. Montana State University in Bozeman is proud to sponsor three (3) Merit Scholarships each year. Students are eligible for a minimum of $750/year and up to a maximum of $2,000/year depending on financial need. College-sponsored Merit Scholarships require full-time attendance and are renewable for up to four years of under graduate study. Contact your high school counselor for more information.

Native American Scholarships
Both need-based and academic scholarships are awarded to qualified Native American students. For need-based scholarships, applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and submit it to the processing center prior to March 1, 2008. For academic scholarships (not need-based) applicants should contact the Center for Native American Studies, P.O. Box 172340, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717- 2340, (406) 994-3881.

Montana Indian Tuition Waiver
The Montana Indian Tuition Waiver is available to Montana residents who are one-fourth (1/4) enrolled with a federally recognized tribe and demonstrate financial need. For more information contact the MSU Office of Financial Aid at (406) 994-2845. Other funding opportunities for Native Americans can be found in the Native American College Funding Guide (pdf).

Native American Non Resident Tribal Homelands Scholarship Program
Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana announces a new "Tribal Homelands" Program that will allow a limited number of eligible Native American Students to qualify for a waiver of approximately $10,000 per year. THSP is open to eligible non-resident Native American new freshmen and transfer students who are interested in attending MSU in the Fall of 2008 and whose tribal affiliation once called the Montana area their "Homelands." For further information see our Tribal Homelands Scholarship worksheet or contact Tyler Cegler - MSU Minority Representative; tyler.cegler@montana.edu; 1-888-MSU-CATS, direct 406-994-1983.

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Athletic Scholarships
In addition to the University Admissions Standards, athletes must meet NCAA Big Sky requirements and MSU requirements for athletic financial assistance. Contact Intercollegiate Athletics, P.O. Box 173380, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-3380, (406) 994- 4221 for information about athletic opportunities.

Armed Forces Scholarships
Air Force and Army ROTC scholarships are available for qualified entering freshmen. Contact your local Army or Air Force Recruiting Center for details about these scholarships which may cover tuition, fees, books and include a monthly stipend.

How Scholarships are awarded:
Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, financial need, or a combination of the two. Many scholarships have additional requirements as well.

Institutional scholarships are provided to the University by donors who specify the award criteria. The selection process is managed by the appropriate college or department as well as through the Financial Aid Office. Some scholarships are awarded to continuing students and others are specifically designed for incoming freshman or transfer students.

Private scholarships are directly controlled by the donor, not the University; the application process, selection criteria, and recipients are determined by the donor. The donor notifies you of the award, but usually sends the money to the University for distribution.

How Scholarships Are Paid:
Most scholarships, both institutional and private, are applied to your University student account each semester. Some may be sent directly to you, but this is the exception. Normally, the University must confirm that you have been accepted and have enroll ed full time in courses before payment will be made. If you know that you will be enrolled less than full time (less than 12 credit hours as an undergraduate student), you will need to have your donor or department contact the Financial Aid Office to approve payment of your scholarship(s).

If your scholarship arrives after you have already paid your bill for the semester, you will be mailed a refund check by the Student Accounts Office after the scholarship is processed. Your donor may also provide instructions in a cover letter on how the scholars hip funds are to be disbursed to you. Please inform your donor that it is preferable for MSU to receive scholarship checks for the fall semester in July and in December for the spring semester. Funds are not disbursed until the beginning of the semester, but early receipt of the check ensures that you will have the funds to pay your bill on time.

If your scholarship check has not been received in the Financial Aid Office by the fee statement payment deadline, you must make other arrangements to pay your bill to avoid cancellation of classes or late charges.

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Scholarship Information Sources:
Private scholarship information is available at no charge to all students attending MSU through computerized search services. This service is an excellent means of searching a national database containing more than 400,000 listings of scholarships, fellow ships and grants from fraternal organizations, large corporations, religious groups, clubs, and philanthropic groups, to name a few. As indicated, this is a free service.

Fast Web www.fastweb.com
Free scholarship search site allows you to search online for scholarships for which you may be eligible.

Collegeboard www.collegeboard.com
Information in general on financial aid and free scholarship search.

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Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 9/24/07