Tuition Waivers | Student Financial Services

Using Tuition Waivers to Fund Your Education

A tuition waiver reduces or fully covers your tuition charges. Unlike loans, you don’t repay a tuition waiver. Unless otherwise noted, tuition waivers cover 100% of the cost of resident tuition. They do not cover any fees or program specific tuition charges. Tuition waivers are usually applied directly to your student account rather than paid out to you.

Full tuition waivers cannot be combined with any other tuition-designated awards such as the UM Need Grant. Students can only receive one full tuition waiver per semester as once tuition is waived, there is nothing for an additional waiver to pay.  

Tuition waivers cannot exceed the cost of tuition.

Tuition waiver applications must be received by the end of the third week of classes and may reduce a student's federal aid package. Awards are not made retroactively. With the exception of senior citizen waiver and faculty/staff waivers, a student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to be eligible.

Some waivers are Board of Regents designated, others are at the discretion of UM. Waiver policies may change with little to no notice. Tuition waivers cannot be used for self-support courses.

Tuition Waiver Programs

  • To qualify for the American Indian Tuition Waiver a student must meet all of the following:

    • Be one quarter (1/4) degree of Indian blood or be an enrolled member of a state-recognized or federally recognized Indian tribe located within the boundaries of the state of Montana.
    • Be classified as a Montana resident.
    • Have demonstrated financial need each year of enrollment as determined by the FAFSA.

    Blood quantum and/or enrollment status can be documented with a CIB (Certificate of Indian Blood) letter or card; Tribal Enrollment Card; Form letter(s) documenting descendancy (birth certificate) that equal ¼ or more; and document of parent (grandparent) enrollment and/or degree of blood.

    To apply, complete the American Indian Student Tuition Waiver Application and submit it to Student Financial Services along with blood quantum and/or enrollment status.

  • The 2 + 2 Honors Scholarship is awarded to students who graduate with an associate's degree from a two-year Montana University System (MUS) campus or a Montana community college. The scholarship waives the undergraduate tuition cost at any four-year MUS campus for up to four continuous semesters, excluding summer.

    To be eligible a student must meet the following conditions:

    • Apply the June immediately following graduation
    • Have earned an associate's degree from an eligible campus with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4
    • Have been enrolled in and attended at an eligible campus for at least two semesters prior to graduating
    • Have been accepted by or enrolled at an eligible four-year campus
    • Utilize the scholarship the next semester (autumn/spring) following the receipt of an associate degree
    • Be a U.S. citizen and Montana resident

    .

  • After 120 days of continuous employment, dependents of employees of the Montana University System (MUS) are eligible for a tuition waiver equal to 50% of resident tuition. A dependent includes the employee’s spouse or adult dependent, as defined in the MUS Employee Benefits Plan, and financially dependent children as defined by the Internal Revenue Code who are unmarried and under age 25.

    The waiver ceases to be available once a student earns their first bachelor's degree.

    See the Human Resources Services Dependent Tuition Waiver webpage for the application and for more information.

  • To qualify for the Faculty/Staff Tuition Waiver, a student must meet all of the following conditions:

    • Be employed at the 91次元
    • Be a permanent employee of .75 FTE or greater
    • Have completed any union probationary period of employment, if required
    • Have obtained approval with signatures of the supervisor and director/dean

    Faculty and staff members who terminate during the academic semester in which they receive a waiver will be required to reimburse the University for the value of the waiver.

    Application is made through Application is made through UM's Human Resource Services.

    For applicants employed at other MUS schools (NOT the 91次元):

    1. Complete your application with required approval signatures of your supervisor, dean/director from your department/institution.
    2. After you have acquired all necessary approval signatures, your campus Human Resources Services (HRS) representative can confirm that you are eligible according to Board of Regents’ policy.  They will then complete the HRS section at the bottom of the application. 
    3. Once your eligibility has been confirmed, your application can be sent to Student Financial Services at UM. Contact Student Financial Services for further guidelines and information.

  • To qualify for the Montana Honorably Discharged Veteran Tuition Waiver a student must meet all of the following criteria:

    • Have received an Honorable Discharge
    • Have at one time qualified for veterans benefits under Title 38 of the U.S. Code but benefits have expired or been exhausted
    • Be a Montana resident
    • Meet one of the service qualifications listed below:
      • Served during World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War.
      • Served subsequent to Vietnam and received an Expeditionary Medal*, and be enrolled in an initial degree or certificate program.
      • Served in a combat theater in the Persian Gulf between 8/2/1990 and 4/11/1991 and received the SW Asia Service Medal*, and be enrolled in an initial degree or certificate program.
      • Awarded the Kosovo Campaign Medal* and be enrolled in an initial degree or certificate program.
      • Served in a combat theater in Afghanistan or Iraq after Sept. 11, 2001, and received either the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal or the Iraq Campaign Medal and be enrolled in an initial degree or certificate program.

    * For purposes of this policy any of above-noted medals shall be deemed to have been "awarded" if a veteran was eligible for the medal but chose to receive another medal in lieu thereof.

    To apply, complete the and submit it to Student Financial Services.

  • The MUS Honors Scholarship is a competitive award given to students graduating from Montana high schools. It is awarded to the students with the best combined GPA and test scores statewide.

    , with assistance from a student's high school counselor.

    The scholarship waives undergraduate tuition for up to eight continuous semesters, excluding summer.

  • National Merit Semi-Finalists who recently graduated from a Montana high school are eligible to receive this scholarship. It is NOT renewable.

    Application is made with the assistance of the high school guidance counselor.

  • Also known as the Golden College Program, the Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver is for residents of Montana who are 65 years or older.

    It can only be used to take courses offered at the undergraduate level. Law students or students with graduate standing do not qualify for the waiver, even if they are taking undergraduate classes.

    To apply, complete the Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver Application and submit it to Student Financial Services each semester.

  • The surviving spouse or child of any Montana firefighter or peace officer killed in the course and scope of employment is eligible for a waiver.

    This waiver shall not apply to the extent that any such person is eligible for educational benefits from any governmental or private benefit program that provides comparable benefits.

    A student should contact Student Financial Services if they think they are eligible.

  • The surviving spouse or child of any Montana National Guard member killed as a result of injury, disease or other disability incurred in the line of duty while serving on state active duty is eligible for a waiver.

    This waiver shall not apply to the extent that any such person is eligible for educational benefits from any governmental or private benefit program that provides comparable benefits.

     

  • To qualify for the War Orphan Tuition Waiver, a student must be a child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who served on active duty during WWII, the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts. The parent must have been a legal resident of Montana at the time of entry into the service and must have been killed in action or died as a result of injury, disease or other disability while in service.

    To apply, contact the Commissioner of Higher Education at:

    Commissioner of Higher Education
    2500 Broadway
    Helena, MT 59620
    Phone (406) 444-6594

  • Qualifying non-resident veterans may have a portion of their tuition waived through the Yellow Ribbon program.

    Students should contact UM's Military and Veteran Services Office for more information and assistance in applying.

  • Tuition waivers cannot be used for self-support programs or courses.

    The following programs are self-support and not eligible for tuition waivers:

    • Library Media Endorsement Certificate (COE)
    • Flathead Valley Community College 2+2 Program (COE)
    • Online Counselor Education cohort program (COE) – Face-to-face program is not self-support
    • Online Education Leadership - Equity in School Leadership cohort (COE)- Face-to-face program is not self-support
    • ISEC EDLD doctorate (only available to Chinese cohort)
    • Online MSW Program (COH)- Face-to-face program is not self-support
    • Online Doctorate in Physical Therapy and related Rehab Essentials programs

    The following courses are self-support and not eligible for tuition waivers:

    • Forensic Casework - Anthropology
    • Courses in the Summer Indian Law program (not a recognized course of study)