10 Montana Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College
What’s Covered:
Montana is often called the “Treasure State” thanks to its abundant natural and mineral resources like coal, copper, gold, manganese, sapphire, silver, lead, oil, and zinc. Another plentiful resource found in Montana is great colleges. There are also a number of superb scholarships available to help high-achieving students in Big Sky Country (after all, Montana has more bookstores per capita than any other state in the U.S.) meet their educational goals.
10 Montana Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College
1. AIST Northern Pacific Member Chapter Scholarship
Amount: $500 to $1,500
Deadline: April 30
Eligibility: Close relative of an AIST Northern Pacific Chapter member or a member of the Material Advantage Student Program living in the AIST Northern Pacific Member Chapter area or planning to attend or enroll full-time in a university located in the chapter area.
Application Requirements: Transcript, essay, recommendation, resume, and SAT/ACT scores.
This scholarship provided by the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) seeks to encourage and support students in the chapter area to attend college full time. Not solely a Montana scholarship, this award is available to students throughout the AIST Northern Pacific Chapter Area, which also includes:
- Alaska
- Idaho
- Nevada
- Northern California
- Oregon
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
The association awards up to two $1,500 scholarships and up to three $500 scholarships annually.
2. John Korsbeck Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school senior, undergraduate, or non-traditional student attending a
two- or four-year college, university, or technical school in Montana
Application Requirements: Essay and two references
The John Korsbeck Memorial Scholarship is the highest award presented to Montana Farmers Union youth. Applicants are required to submit an essay (250-word minimum) about their educational plans and how they benefit from their schooling, along with answering a few questions about their scholastic achievement, community involvement, participation in agriculture, and engagement with the Farmers Union.
3. Montana STEM/Healthcare Scholarship Program
Amount: $1,000 to $2,000
Deadline: December 1
Eligibility: Montana resident and graduating senior who has completed four years of college-prep math and three years of college-prep science and is planning to attend a qualifying school to pursue a STEM or healthcare degree
Application Requirements: Minimum 3.25 GPA, transcript, and college acceptance letter
This Montana University System scholarship is designed to incentivize Montana students to pursue degrees in the STEM and healthcare fields and ultimately improve the number of workers in those fields. Montana STEM/Healthcare scholarships are only available for use on select campuses. The award is renewable and increases over time, provided students meet certain benchmarks and requirements—students may receive $1,500 for their second and third academic years and $2,000 for their fourth.
4. Pride Foundation Scholarships
Amount: Varies
Deadline: January 7
Eligibility: Resident of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington and pursuing a post-secondary education
Application Requirements: Varies
Pride Foundation offers more than 60 scholarships, all of which are applied to by a single application. This allows the Pride Foundation to distribute a range of awards for students from all backgrounds and interests. Pride Foundation Scholarships support LGBTQ+ students and prioritize helping students who have:
- Been leaders in the LGBTQ+ community
- Experienced family rejection
- Haven’t had access to larger community support systems
- Faced systematic barriers to education
5. Maureen and Mike Mansfield Native American Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Female Native American students from any of the seven Indian reservations within the State of Montana:
- Blackfeet
- Rocky Boy
- Flathead
- Crow
- Fort Belknap
- Fort Peck
- Northern Cheyenne
Application Requirements: Minimum 2.5 GPA, transcript, and two short essays
Two Maureen and Mike Mansfield Native American Scholarships are awarded annually to female Native American students from any of Montana’s seven Indian reservations. The scholarships are available to students who plan to attend one of four University of Montana campuses:
- UM – Missoula/Missoula College
- UM – Western
- Montana Tech
- UM – Helena College
6. Montana Life Members Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Montana resident who has completed enough credits to be considered a sophomore, is attending a Montana school, and is pursuing a degree in a horticulture-related field
Application Requirements: Minimum 2.7 GPA, transcript, two reference letters, and a short personal biography
This scholarship provided by the Montana Federation of Garden Clubs provides financial support to students majoring in Conservation, Horticulture, Parks or Forestry, Floriculture, Greenhouse Management, Land Management, and related subjects. The award is presented at the Life Members’ Banquet (if possible), during the Federations’ convention in June.
7. MUS Honor Scholarship
Amount: $5,000-$20,000
Deadline: December 1
Eligibility: Montana resident high school seniors who have been enrolled full-time at an accredited Montana high school for at least three years (including their senior year), are on track to meet the Board of Regents Rigorous Core Requirements, and plan to attend an eligible Montana University System campus
Application Requirements: Minimum 3.4 GPA at the end of their 7th semester, transcript, college acceptance letter, and have taken the SAT/ACT by December 31st of their senior year
The MUS Honor Scholarship is a renewable award—provided the recipient meets certain requirements—with an average value of $5,000 a year, or $20,000 over four years. Up to 200 scholarships are awarded annually and recipients are chosen based on a score created using their GPA and SAT/ACT score.
8. National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) Region IV Scholarship
Amount: $3,500
Deadline: March 12
Eligibility: High school seniors with a desire to work in the automotive industry from the NIADA’s Region IV
Application Requirements: Transcript, essay, and up to five letters of recommendation
The NIADA Region IV Scholarship is one of four national awards provided by the association. Students eligible for the Region IV scholarship must come from the following states:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
The intent of the NIADA Region IV scholarship is to support students with an interest in a career in the automotive industry and students are required to submit an essay highlighting their interest in the automotive industry and the role they wish to play in it, and explain how they would address some of the current challenges in the field.
9. Rocky Mountain Mining Institute (RMMI) Engineering Scholarship
Amount: Up to $5,000
Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Students from a member state who are enrolled full-time in a degree program in a mining-related field and express an interest in a career in mining
Application Requirements: Transcript, short biography, two short-answer questions, and three references
The Rocky Mountain Mining Institute Engineering Scholarship isn’t exactly a Montana scholarship, it’s open to residents from any RMMI member state:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Wyoming
The award is renewable—provided that the recipient is still a full-time student in good academic standing—and valued at up to $5,000 over three years: an initial award of $2,000, $2,000 for the first renewal, and $1,000 for the second renewal.
10. Dennis Schoepp Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Full- or part-time students of funeral service/mortuary science who are enrolled in an ABFSE-accredited program
Application Requirements: Transcript, letter of recommendation, five short-answer questions, and a brief video
The Dennis Schoepp Memorial Scholarship isn’t limited to applicants from Montana, but preference is given to students from Montana who intend to return to the state following graduation to work in funeral service. Preference is also given to students who are affiliated with a Montana Funeral Directors Association Member Firm (MFDA). As part of the application, students are required to submit a brief video (maximum two minutes long) about what called them to the funeral service profession.
11. CollegeVine Scholarships
Amount: Up to $500
Deadline: Weekly
Eligibility: High school student and U.S. resident
Application Requirements: Create a free CollegeVine account
Not a Montana scholarship per se, but CollegeVine’s weekly scholarships of up to $500 are something students from Big Sky Country will want to explore. Becoming eligible for these awards is easy: just join our free admissions platform and earn Karma, the free CollegeVine “currency.” Karma is earned by reviewing essays through our Peer Review tool and answering questions in our Community Forums—you can then bid that Karma to enter the scholarship drawing. If you don’t win an award, your Karma is returned so that you can “spend” it on essay reviews and expert advice. Awards are paid out directly to students to help them cover any educational costs. Learn more about the CollegeVine scholarships.
Tips on Applying to Scholarships
As college costs continue to rise, competition for scholarships is getting more challenging. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to improve your odds of winning an award.
Apply for Institutional Awards
Colleges and universities are the best sources of scholarship money. Colleges grant $175 billion in scholarships annually, compared to $11 billion awarded by other organizations. Students looking to earn significant scholarships should focus first on institutional awards and use outside scholarships to help fill in the gaps.
Create a Smart School List
Many of the nation’s most prestigious schools—such as the Ivy League schools—do not offer merit aid since they do not have to incentivize students to attend their institutions. Other schools, however—especially schools where your profile is particularly strong—might make a compelling scholarship offer to encourage you to enroll there. When building your school list, consider adding one or two “safety” schools where you have a good chance of winning an award.
Apply for Lots of Scholarships
Simply put, the more scholarships you apply for, the better your chances of winning an award. Don’t just apply for everything, though; focus on finding lots of scholarships that you’re uniquely suited to and applying for them. For example, if you live in Montana, apply for scholarships specifically targeted to Montana students, or if you’re interested in pursuing a degree in engineering, seek out STEM-focused scholarships.
