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.

Recipients of a Montana University System Honor Scholarship are eligible for a tuition waiver. The scholarship does not cover mandatory or class fees. Students should ask the college for a list of fees that are not covered by the scholarship.

Recipients of a 2 Plus 2 Honor Scholarship are eligible for a tuition waiver. The scholarship does not cover mandatory or class fees. Students should ask the campus for a list of fees that are not covered by the scholarship. This waiver may not be used in conjunction with any other MUS tuition waiver.

National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists from Montana are eligible for a waiver through the first academic year (2 semesters) of enrollment exclusive of any credits earned prior to high school graduation. Students who have been selected as National Merit Semi-finalists, will automatically be sent information regarding this waiver in the spring of their senior year. If you have not received information from your school by mid-April, please contact our office to check the status.

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 are eligible for the American Indian Tuition Waiver upon demonstration of financial need.

Veterans From the Vietnam Era and Before (i.e., served any time prior to May 8, 1975) - All honorably discharged persons who served with the United States forces in any of its wars and who are bona fide residents of the State of Montana for fee and tuition purposes are eligible for a waiver. Veterans serving in the armed forces subsequent to the conflict in Vietnam are eligible for a waiver in accordance with conditions. The person must also be a resident of the state of Montana.  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.

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

A student who is a member of the Montana National 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. The student applies for the waiver by the 3rd week of the first semester for which they are requesting the waiver;
  2. Is a bona fide member of the Montana National Guard at the start of the semester for which the student is enrolling;
  3. Has been certified as a Montana National Guard member in good standing by the Adjutant General; and
  4. Meets all admission requirements of the institution.

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. The Montana University System must ensure that the average net tuition revenue per non-resident student (not including WUE students) exceeds the average net tuition revenue plus state appropriations per resident student. In other words, net educational revenues per student FTE must be greater for the non-resident student population than the resident student population. Check with campus financial aid directors for more information.

Tuition may be waived for qualified veterans in accordance with an authorized Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. For more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program.