The FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid is required in order to be considered for either the Montana American Indian Tuition Waiver or the Montana State University Non-Resident Tribal Homeland Scholarship.  A new FAFSA must be filed each year.  The FAFSA for an upcoming award year is available October 1 of each year and December 1st of each year is the priority filing date.  For additional assistance with this process, please contact the Office of Financial Aid Services.

Montana American Indian Undergraduate Tuition Waiver (Resident):

QUALIFICATIONS: You may qualify for the American Indian Tuition Waiver if you meet the following criteria:

  • You are a resident of the State of Montana.
  • You are at least one-quarter (1/4) degree Indian blood of any federal or state recognized Tribe; or you are an enrolled member of an Indian tribe which is located within the boundaries of the State of Montana*.
  • Application is required for all first time applicants.

Accepted documentation: CIB (Certificate of Indian Blood) letter or card; Tribal Enrollment Card; Form letter(s) documenting descendancy that equals 1/4 or more; and Document of parent (grandparent) enrollment and/or degree of blood.

*Montana Tribes:

  • Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Reservation
  • Chippewa Cree of the Rocky Boy Reservation
  • Confederated Salish & Kootenai & Pend d’Oreille Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation
  • Crow Tribe oi the Crow Reservation
  • Fort Belknap Tribes of Assiniboine and Gros Ventre of the Fort Belknap Reservation
  • Fort Peck Tribes of Assiniboine and Sioux of the Fort Peck Reservation
  • Little Shell Chippewa Tribe
  • Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation

                                                                                  

  • You have demonstrated financial need. "Financial need" is defined as having at least one dollar of remaining need after subtracting Expected Family Contribution, all Title IV grant aid and institutional aid from the cost of attendance.  Need is determined through the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. 

 

 

Note: The American Indian Tuition Waiver may not be used with other state or institutional tuition waivers. The waiver does not cover mandatory or class fees.  All other fees are the student’s responsibility.  Policy for the American Indian Waiver is set through the State of Montana Board of Regents.  For additional information you may access the Montana University System website: https://mus.edu/Prepare/Pay/Waivers/index.html#ai

Graduate Montana American Indian Waiver (Resident):

 

  1. Must have a completed FAFSA that shows the students has eligibility for need based aid (does not have to be grant eligible). 
  2. Submit documentation to the office of financial aid of one quarter or higher blood quantum for a non-Montana Tribe (waiver is not limited to Montana Tribes), or if member of a Montana Tribe submit documentation of Tribal Membership (does not have to be one quarter blood but does have to be a member of a Montana Tribe). 
  3. Must be a Montana Resident.
  4. Application is required for first time applicants of the waiver.
  5. Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as outlined in policy.

Tribal Homeland Scholarship Waiver(Non-Resident):

The Tribal Homelands Scholarship is a MSU discretionary waiver 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 Scholarship. 

Montana Tribes:

  • Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Reservation
  • Chippewa Cree of the Rocky Boy Reservation
  • Confederated Salish & Kootenai & Pend d’Oreille Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation
  • Crow Tribe oi the Crow Reservation
  • Fort Belknap Tribes of Assiniboine and Gros Ventre of the Fort Belknap Reservation
  • Fort Peck Tribes of Assiniboine and Sioux of the Fort Peck Reservation
  • Little Shell Chippewa Tribe
  • Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation

Eligible 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 tribe is not listed, but you can make a case for being included in this scholarship program, we encourage you to contact our office.

Accepted documentation: CIB (Certificate of Indian Blood) letter or card; Tribal Enrollment Card; Form letter(s) documenting descendancy; and Document of parent (grandparent) enrollment and/or degree of blood. 

 

 

Note: The Tribal Homeland Tuition Waiver may not be used with other state or institutional tuition waivers. This waives the non-resident portion of tuition only.  The waiver does not cover mandatory or class fees.  All other fees are the student’s responsibility.

 

You may submit your documentation through the mail, fax or our document upload option:

https://www.montana.edu/financialaid/docu_upload.html

Graduate Tribal Homeland Scholarship Waiver (Non-Resident):

  1. Must have a completed FAFSA. 
  2. Does not have to have one quarter blood or higher but must submit documentation showing membership (or lineage) to a Tribe that whose ancestors once called Montana home (some historical connection to Montana). 
  3. If your Tribe is not on the list, you can through appeal demonstrate a case for Tribal affiliation to the Office of Financial Aid.
  4. Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as outlined in policy.

Other Scholarships and Resources:

Cobell Scholarship

https://cobellscholar.org/

Gates Millennium Scholars

https://gmsp.org/

American Indian Graduate Center

https://accessscholarships.com/scholarship/american-indian-graduate-center-aigc-graduate-fellowship/

American Indian College Fund

https://collegefund.org/

American Indian Services

https://www.americanindianservices.org/scholarships

American Indian Education Fund

http://www.nativepartnership.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_home

 

Also check with your respective Tribes for Higher Education and Scholarships funds.  Note these resources may need the Financial Aid Office to complete additional forms.  We must have your permission to release this information to the donor resource. https://www.montana.edu/financialaid/thirdparty_release.html

 

For additional resources and assistance available here at Montana State University, please visit our Native American Resource Directory:

https://www.montana.edu/native/index.html