The Grizzly Promise: Tuition Support for Montana Students

The Grizzly Promise initiative was launched in December 2022 as a tool to tear down financial barriers to our world-class education. The promise ensures that if you are an in-state student from a family with income less than $50,000 per year, we will cover your entire tuition and mandatory fees.

The Grizzly Promise is for first-year students taking classes on campus (not online) and funds up to four years or eight semesters of UM tuition and fees. This commitment exemplifies UM’s ethos of inclusive prosperity, where we don’t measure our prestige by who we don’t let in, but rather by how wide our doors can open.

Scroll on to learn about our commitment to inclusive prosperity, more details on how to qualify for the Grizzly Promise and all the other ways to make your best future more attainable.

Striving for Inclusive Prosperity

We’re incredibly proud of our low cost for academic excellence at the University of Montana. Go ahead and search other public universities. Good luck finding a better return on your investment. However, attending UM isn’t free, and the costs may be prohibitive depending on your financial circumstances.

That’s where our mission of Inclusive Prosperity comes in. We don’t think anyone deserves to attend UM more than anyone else, but we believe everyone should have the same opportunity to improve their lives through our 130-year-old institution.

That’s the basis for the Grizzly Promise, ensuring you have a spot on campus regardless of your financial background.

UM President Seth Bodnar on Inclusive Prosperity

Qualifications and Eligibility for the Grizzly Promise

The basic qualifications for the Grizzly Promise include being a full-time, first-year, in-state student from a family with an income of $50,000 per year or less.

Or more specifically:

• Eligible for in-state tuition, as determined by the State of Montana BOR Policy: 940.1. 
• Demonstrated financial need — families with $50,000 or less in annual income are typically eligible for the Promise. Financial need is determined by completing the Free Application for Student Federal Aid (FAFSA). Anyone interested in the Grizzly Promise must complete the FAFSA.
• Registered for 12+ credits per semester.
• Must be taking classes on-campus (i.e., not online-only students). 
• Must be an incoming traditional first-year student seeking their first bachelor's degree. You are considered an incoming traditional first-year student if you meet one of the following criteria:
  • currently enrolled in high school.
  • have graduated from high school but have not attempted 12 or more college-level semester credits.
  • you are concurrently enrolled in high school and a college/university (e.g., Running Start or Dual Enrollment Program).
  • Traditional student applicants are those who enter college within three years of high school graduation or within three years from when they would have graduated from high school.

Renewability Criteria for the Grizzly Promise

While the Grizzly Promise is reserved for incoming traditional first-year students, once awarded, the Promise continues every year throughout your college education (up to eight semesters or until you receive your bachelor’s degree). Students must maintain specific criteria to keep the Promise going throughout their college career:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• Register for at least 12 credits every semester.

How Do You Apply for the Grizzly Promise at UM

Applying for the Grizzly Promise is easy. The only two steps required are to be admitted to the University of Montana and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Read More: UM’s Top Five Tips for Filling Out the FAFSA.

When filling out the FAFSA, use University of Montana code 002536. The Grizzly Promise then will be applied to qualifying students through scholarships, grants, waivers and other institutional aid.

Apply to the University of Montana

Fill out the FAFSA

How to Find Other Montana Scholarships

The Grizzly Promise covers all tuition costs and any mandatory fees. It doesn’t cover other indirect costs of education like housing and supplies. If you are looking for resources to help cover these additional costs, or you don’t qualify for the Promise, we have several resources to help obtain financial aid:

Read More: How Do I Pay for College?

• Fill out the FAFSA – This is the first step to receiving financial aid.
• Automatic Merit Awards: Did you know that you’ll receive an automatic scholarship based on your high-school GPA? Anyone with GPA higher than 3.0 receives these merit-based scholarships, maxing out at $4,000 per semester for GPAs higher than 3.95 (in-state) and over $17,000 for out-of-state students.
• UM Scholarship Portal: We make applying for additional scholarships easy through the UM Scholarship Portal. This portal allows you to fill out a single application for eligibility to hundreds of financial aid opportunities, including scholarships, grants, work-study programs and tuition waivers.
• Visit the University of Montana Financial Aid Office: The Financial Aid Office, located on the fifth floor of Aber Hall, is an excellent resource for obtaining financial aid and asking any relevant questions. Here, professional advisers are happy to help navigate the mazes that can plague financial aid systems. Visit in person, email or call to learn more:
  • Financial Aid Office Question Form: Ask a Question
  • Financial Aid Telephone Number: 406-243-5373