Who Qualifies for Tuition Waivers?

Tuition waiver qualifications and eligibility varies based on waiver type, either board designated tuition waivers or campus discretionary waivers and discounts. See Board of Regents Policy 940.13 - Tuition Waivers and Discounts and the corresponding Commissioner's Directive

Rules Applicable to All Waivers/Discounts

Under Board of Regents Policy 940.13, only tuition will be waived. No fees, mandatory or miscellaneous, or program fees or other charges are waived by this policy. Additional Procedures and Reporting Requirements related to tuition waivers are outlined in Board Policy. 

  • Self-Supporting courses - Waivers awarded under this policy cannot be applied to self-supporting courses. Student with waivers under this policy will be required to pay the full tuition and fees for the self-supporting course.

  • Summer Session - Any category of waiver granted to students during summer session shall be included in computations of each unit’s allowable limit. Summer semester is considered the first semester of the fiscal year.

  • Financial Need - All waivers, except Honor Scholarships for National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists, MUS Honor Scholarships, 2 Plus 2 Honor Scholarships, and waivers for graduate teaching assistants and graduate research assistants shall include financial need as a criterion whenever possible. 

  • Continued eligibility for waiver - Students are eligible for continuation of a waiver, from year to year, unless otherwise limited, provided reasonable academic progress is maintained in accordance with the campus’s satisfactory progress policy generally used in administering federal financial aid. This provision does not apply to senior citizens and faculty and staff waivers.

  • Waiver Amount Limit - No combination of waivers/discounts can exceed the total tuition charged by the campus.

Board of Regents Designated Tuition Waivers

Campuses grant waivers of undergraduate tuition for Montana resident students enrolled in the following categories at campuses across the MUS. Only tuition is waived. No fees, mandatory or miscellaneous, or program fees or other charges are waived.

Persons who have one-fourth (1/4) American Indian blood or more or are enrolled members of a state recognized or federally recognized Indian tribe which is located  within the boundaries of the State of Montana may be eligible for the American Indian Tuition Waiver upon demonstration of financial need.

All honorably discharged persons who served with the United States forces and who are bona fide residents of the State of Montana for fee and tuition purposes are eligible for a waiver. This waiver shall not apply to persons who qualify for education stipends or other veterans’ educational benefits under federal law or regulation and shall apply only to those who have at some time qualified for benefits but whose benefits have expired or been exhausted. Waivers for students who meet the criteria below will be applied as last dollar awards, up to the total annual cost of resident tuition only. Thus, individual tuition waiver amounts will vary, depending on the amount of federal grants and scholarships received by the student.  More information

This waiver is for children aged 25 and under of members of the armed forces of the United States who served on active duty during World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts. Such members of the armed forces must be Montana residents at the time of entry into service and must have been killed in action or died as a result of combat related injury, disease, or other disability while in the service. The student must apply for the waiver by the 3rd week of the first semester for which they are requesting the waiver. This Waiver does not waive any fees, cannot be used with other tuition waivers and can only be used towards undergraduate tuition. This tuition waiver remains in effect as long as the student is 25 years of age or under, and maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to the standards detailed by the Financial Aid Office.

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.

Persons whose spouse, parent, or legal guardian was a victim of the September 11, 2001 terrorist actions at the New York World Trade Center, the Pentagon or the Pennsylvania airplane crash are eligible for the waiver.

The surviving spouse or child of a Montana firefighter or peace officer killed in the course and scope of employment is eligible for a waiver. The firefighter/peace officer and the spouse/dependent must be Montana residents. The student must apply for the waiver by the 3rd week of the first semester for which they are requesting the waiver. This Waiver does not waive any fees, cannot be used with other tuition waivers and can only be used towards undergraduate tuition. This tuition waiver remains in effect as long as the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to the standards detailed by the Financial Aid Office.

More information

An undergraduate or graduate student who is a member of the Montana National Guard (Army and Air Guard) is eligible for a tuition waiver, provided the student meets required criteria. Montana National Guard members who do not meet the residency requirements provided BOR Policy 940.1, but meet the criteria above, are eligible for the tuition waiver under this policy.

A student who is a member of the Montana National Guard is eligible for a tuition waiver, provided the student:

  1. Has applied for the waiver and is a bona fide member of the Guard no later than the 3rd week of the first semester for which they are requesting the waiver;
  2. Is certified as a MT National Guard member in good standing who has completed Initial Entry Training;
  3. Maintains reasonable academic progress in accordance with the campus’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy used in administering federal financial aid; and
  4. Has an outstanding tuition balance after applying ALL other sources of aid (see Fact Sheet for calculation examples).

More information

Campus Discretionary Waivers and Discounts

Campuses of the MUS may waive tuition, on a full or partial basis, for superior academic achievement, service to the campus, and/or other meritorious accomplishment or student financial need.

Tuition may be waived/discounted for under-graduate or graduate resident students. Check with campus financial aid directors on campus-specific waivers.

Tuition may be waived/discounted for non-resident students at the discretion of the campus. Check with campus financial aid directors for more information.

Tuition may be waived for qualified veterans in accordance with an authorized Yellow Ribbon Program. More information about the Yellow Ribbon Program