The Tribal Homelands Waiver significantly reduces the amount of out‐of‐state tuition and is
available to eligible Native American students who are not Montana residents.  Recipients of the
Tribal Homelands Waiver pay the in‐state tuition rate; the out‐of‐state tuition portion is paid
by the scholarship.  

The Tribal Homelands Waiver is available to non‐resident Native American students whose
tribal ancestors called the area that is now Montana their home and who enter the university as
new freshmen, transfer, or graduate students. Students who are enrolled in or affiliated with
tribes whose historical life‐ways intersected the boundaries of what has become the State of
Montana may apply for the Tribal Homelands Waiver. For a complete list of eligible tribes,
please refer to the bottom of this page.

To be considered, applicants must complete the following no later than July 1st of the school year
in which they plan to enroll:   

  1. Apply for admission to MSU
  2. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  3. Provide proof of tribal enrollment or descent to:

Financial Aid Services
183 Strand Union  
PO Box 174160  
Bozeman, MT 59717‐4160  
406‐994‐2845
[email protected]

Participation in this scholarship program does not affect or determine residency status.  To remain
eligible for the waiver, students must maintain reasonable academic progress in accordance    
with MSU’s satisfactory progress policy generally used in administering federal financial aid.

For more information on the Tribal Homelands Waiver Program or questions in general,
please contact:

Financial Aid Services
183 Strand Union  
PO Box 174160  
Bozeman, MT 59717‐4160  
406‐994‐2845
[email protected]

Tribal Homelands Waiver Program Eligible Tribes

The resident tribes of the State of Montana which include:

The Assiniboine Tribe of the Fort Belknap Indian Community
The Assiniboine Tribe of the Fort Peck Indian Community
The Blackfeet Tribe
The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy Reservation
The Crow Tribe
The Gros Ventre Tribe of the Fort Belknap Indian Community
The Kootenai Tribe of the Flathead Reservation
The Little Shell Chippewa Band
The Northern Cheyenne Tribe
The Salish Tribes of the Flathead Reservation
The Sioux Tribe of the Fort Peck Indian Community

And the following non‐resident tribes:

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe
The Comanche Tribe of Oklahoma
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
The Eastern Shoshone Tribe
The Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
The Nez Perce Tribe
The Northern Arapaho Tribe
The Oglala Sioux Tribe
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe
The Shoshone‐Bannock Tribes
The Sisseton‐Wahpeton Sioux Tribe
The Southern Cheyenne Tribe
The Spirit Lake Dakotah Sioux Tribe
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
The Turtle Mountain Band of the Chippewa Indians
The Yankton Sioux Tribe
The Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Tribes)

If your tribal affiliation is listed above, we encourage you to explore what the Tribal Homelands
Scholarship Program can mean for you.  If your tribe is not listed, but you can make a case for being
included in this scholarship program, we encourage you to give us a call.  MSU is one of the few
universities in the nation that offers a master’s degree in Native American Studies.  Additional
programs offering both academic and financial support for Native American students interested in
pursuing a degree/career in Nursing or Engineering are also offered.  MSU is currently raising funds for
a brand new Native American Student Center, which will have a prominent place on the campus.