Guide to Financial Aid in Montana
Don’t let the cost of education hold you back. The Montana University System offers
several types of financial aid, each of which can lower the cost of your program,
degree, or certificate. Learn how you can use financial aid to turn your college
dreams into reality.
An Education Within Your Reach
Higher education has the power to change lives, and we believe that this power should
be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial situation. MUS is committed to
helping students make their educational experience both life-changing and affordable.
Find out more about financial aid opportunities at MUS.
$158.2M
of financial aid awarded to students
$6,012
average award for financial aid recipients
82%
of first-time full-time students receive financial aid
How To Get Started With Financial Aid
We encourage every student to apply for financial aid, no matter your background.
Although the process may feel overwhelming at first, starting early and staying organized
will help make it manageable. Follow our guide for getting started with financial
aid, and find out how you can earn hundreds — even thousands — of dollars towards your education.
Financial aid isn’t just one-size-fits-all. There are several different forms of financial
aid, each with different application processes, eligibility requirements, and responsibilities
that come with them. Learn the difference between aid types such as grants, loans,
scholarships, work study, and tuition waivers so you can find an aid option that works
for you.
Your potential financial aid package can seriously lower the cost of a college education.
The financial aid forecasting tool allows you to use information about your and your
family’s finances to estimate how much aid you can expect to receive. Calculating
your potential aid will be useful for helping you determine how much money you need
to save for college.
Financing your education can be stressful, but you don’t have to do it alone. Learn
about the process of applying for financial aid and get the ball rolling — familiarize yourself with the steps to apply for financial aid and make note of important
deadlines for your application.
Here to Help
We understand that finding out how to pay for college can be stressful and confusing.
If you have questions or need help, please do not hesitate to reach out. Find out
how you can get in touch with the financial aid office at your MUS campus.
I want to assure you that the financial aid offices are open and available to you,
whether that be email, phone — a lot of us are doing Zoom meetings as well as Teams
meetings so we can share our screens with you and vice versa. We're going to be here
with you every step of the way with your financial aid.
Valerie Curtin
Director of Financial Aid at Helena College