Montana high school seniors who plan to attend Montana State University in the fall of 2014 are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for scholarships through the MSU Premier Scholarship Program. The priority deadline for scholarship applications is Feb. 1.

“It’s one of my priorities to make higher education as accessible as possible,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado. “Montana high school students are the future of our state, and I want to help them succeed. The benefits of a college education to one’s life and one’s career are huge.”

MSU is dedicated to making it possible for Montana students to pursue higher education through scholarships such as the Premier Scholarship, Cruzado said. MSU and private donors provide funding for the scholarship program.

Premier Scholarships will be awarded to incoming first-year students who are Montana residents and show academic promise based on ACT and/or SAT scores or grade point average. Financial need, leadership experience, activities and honors may also be considered.

Premier Scholarships range from a one-time $1,000 scholarship to a $3,000 scholarship that can be renewed annually for four years. The scholarships can only be applied toward tuition. Students who are awarded a renewable scholarship must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and continue to be enrolled full time.

To become eligible for a Premier Scholarship, applicants must:

·      Apply for admission to MSU. Applications are available online at https://www.msuadmissions.org/application/. To receive a paper application, please contact MSU Admissions.

·      Make sure MSU receives his or her current grade point average either via the self-report form (included with the application for admission) or from a transcript.

·      Have his or her official ACT and/or SAT scores sent directly to MSU from the testing company. The school code for sending ACT scores is 2420. The school code for sending SAT scores is 4488.

·      Print, complete and mail the Montana Premier Scholarship application to: MSU Admissions, P.O. Box 172190, Bozeman, MT 59717-2190. The application is available for printing at: http://www.montana.edu/admissions/premierscholarship.pdf. Alternatively, applicants may apply for the Montana Premier Scholarship online at: https://www.montana.edu/admissions/premierscholarship/.

For more information, contact MSU Admissions toll free at 888-MSU-CATS.