Non-academic credit students and students participating in the Museum Studies Certificate program without pursuing an additional degree through the University of Montana are not financial aid eligible.
We recommend working through your financial aid situation a few months before your course if possible, as sometimes aid cannot be granted. Please note that there may be delays in processing due to the specialized nature of the program.
Financial Aid will not be automatically applied to cover Museum Studies costs. Students will be issued a refund from Financial Aid for Museum Studies costs, and can then issue a check, cash, or online card payment to the MMAC.
Financial Aid is not automatically notified through the Registrar’s Office when final grades are posted for Extended Term/Specialty Programming courses. If grades are not officially in their system yet, they will not be able to release holds on future financial aid, even if students are able to review grades posted on their end. Grades should be officially posted within a few weeks of the course completion date. Please reach out to Financial Aid with any queries.
Forms of Aid Accepted
If using federal financial aid, you must meet the basic eligibility requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education. You must also meet any requirements and deadlines set by your degree-granting institution for your type of aid.
If you are a degree-seeking student at the University of Montana who is using financial aid, you must complete the Extended Term Agreement with Financial Aid certifying that the Museum Studies courses are necessary for you to complete your degree program, gain the signature of your degree program chair/dean, and submit the fully signed form to UM Student Financial Services (faid@mso.umt.edu) for processing. It is recommended to follow up with the Financial Aid office the week before classes start to make sure the Financial Aid Office has received the form and processed it successfully.
Undergraduate students may not be eligible for some types of aid, including federal aid. However, other types of aid may still be available, including PELL grants, loans, some scholarships, AmeriCorps Education Awards, and consortium agreements from another university. Students must meet all standard aid eligibility requirements and complete all regular aid procedures.
Forms of Aid Not Accepted
Unfortunately, tuition waivers may not be used for any course listed in the Extended Semesters. Some examples of tuition waivers are Veteran’s Administration Benefits, UM Faculty/Staff Tuition Waiver, TA Tuition Waiver, American Indian Tuition Waiver, and UM Academic Achievement Scholarship.
Veteran’s Education Benefits may not be used through UM. Some partner organizations have been approved independently by the VA.
At this time, 529 Tuition Savings Plans may not be paid to UM for Extended Credit courses. An alternative is for your 529 Plan Administrator to pay the course provider directly.
Points of contact in Financial Aid
April Wilbur
406-243-5379
Ginger Lowry
406-243-5508