Montana Admissions Scholarship
Montana resident undergraduates and transfer students pursuing their first bachelor's degree are eligible for the Montana Admissions Scholarship. Students are automatically considered for this scholarship when they apply for admission.
The Montana Admissions Scholarship is a tuition‑designated scholarship, meaning it can only be applied to tuition costs. It cannot be combined with any other full‑tuition waiver. If a student receives multiple tuition-designated awards, the total of all tuition waivers cannot exceed the cost of tuition. Students who receive another tuition waiver or third- party tuition coverage should expect their Montana Admissions Scholarship to be reduced or canceled in accordance with UM award‑stacking policies.
The University of Montana may substitute or replace a student’s Montana Admissions Scholarship with other UM scholarship funds when needed to meet institutional policy, donor intent or scholarship‑stacking requirements. This ensures compliance with all awarding rules while maximizing each student’s eligibility for institutional support.
Applicants must submit an unofficial copy of their high school transcript in order to receive the Montana Admissions Scholarship. Any scholarship offer is preliminary and cannot be officially offered until this step is complete.
To maximize grant and scholarship opportunities, new students are also encouraged to complete the FAFSA, and apply for departmental and renewable scholarships through Scholarship Universe.
Students who do not qualify for the Montana Admissions Scholarship upon entry to UM but choose to attend anyway cannot qualify for the Montana Admissions Scholarship at a later date. However, they are encouraged to apply for continuing student scholarships.
Montana Admissions Scholarship Amounts
| High School GPA | Scholarship Amount |
|---|---|
| 3.95+ | $4,000 |
| 3.75 to 3.949 | $3,000 |
| 3.34 to 3.749 | $2,000 |
| 3.00 to 3.349 | $1,000 |
Montana Admissions Scholarship Renewability Criteria
| Renewal Criteria | Started Fall 2025 or After | Started Before Fall 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Cumulative GPA (end of spring) | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Minimum Credits per Semester | 15 credits/semester | 12 credits/semester |
| Minimum Credits per Academic Year | 30 credits (fall, spring & summer) |
24 credits (fall, spring & summer) |
| Enrollment Requirement | Must be continuously enrolled (Exception: Summer Term) | Must be continuously enrolled (Exception: Summer Term) |
| Summer Term Eligibility | Not available for summer | Not available for summer |
| Missoula/Bitterroot College Transfer | Forfeit scholarship | Forfeit scholarship |
| Online-Only Students | Forfeit scholarship | Forfeit scholarship |
| Montana Residency (OOS students) | Available for MT residents | Available for MT residents |
| Post-Baccalaureate / Graduate Students | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| Maximum Duration | 4 years | 4 years |
| Transfer Student Award Eligibility Remaining | 0–29 credits: 4 years 30–59 credits: 3 years 60+ credits: 2 years |
0–29 credits: 4 years 30–59 credits: 3 years 60+ credits: 2 years |
| Completion of Bachelor's Degree | Lose eligibility upon completion | Lose eligibility upon completion |
| Appeal Process | Scholarship Appeal Form available | Scholarship Appeal Form available |
Montana Admissions Scholarship Questions
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Students need to apply by March 1 to be automatically considered. The Montana Admissions Scholarship is awarded to Montana students only.
Montana Admissions Scholarship awarding is based on the scores and grades available when the student is admitted. If a student later improves their GPA, they can petition for reconsideration by logging into their Admitted Student Checklist and following instructions there.
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Students need to apply by March 1 to be automatically considered. The Montana Admissions Scholarship is awarded to Montana students only.
Montana Admissions Scholarship awarding is based on the scores and grades available when the student is admitted. If a student later improves their GPA, they will need to petition for reconsideration by logging into their Admitted Student Checklist and following instructions there.
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If an incoming freshman qualifies for the Montana Admissions Scholarship it is renewable for four years. Students are required to sign up for 15 credits each semester or a total of 30 credits in an academic year (fall, spring and summer) to receive and maintain the award. Students receiving the Montana Admissions Scholarship must also meet the conditions of renewal detailing in the next section.
For transfer students, the number of years for which the scholarship is renewable is based on the number of transfer credits accepted by UM.
- 0-29 credits: Four years
- 30-59 credits: Three years
- 60+ credits: Two years
To complete a degree in the required time-frame, most students must earn an average of 15 credits per semester.
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A student must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 at the end of the spring semester and have completed 15 or more credits per semester for the scholarship to be renewed.
Students who are not continuously enrolled (except summers), transfer to Missoula College, are awarded the WUE, establish Montana residency or become online-only students forfeit the Montana Admissions Scholarship. Recipients cease to be eligible for the Montana Admissions Scholarship upon completion of a bachelor's degree.
The scholarship will not be disbursed in any given semester until the student is enrolled full-time (15 or more credits). The scholarship is not available for use in the summer term.
Students who do not meet scholarship conditions may appeal for reinstatement using the Scholarship Appeal Form.
Post-baccalaureate students (i.e. students who have previously earned a bachelor's degree) and graduate students are not eligible to receive the Montana Admissions Scholarship.
Montana Admissions Scholarship will automatically renew as long as these conditions are met.
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New international undergraduates are NOT eligible for the Montana Admissions Scholarship.