What are the scholarship deadlines?

WUE: January 8, 2026 (now closed for 2026-27). Cat Scholarships (departmental): February 1, 2026. The automatic Premier/Achievement awards have no separate application — apply for admission with a self-reported GPA; non-resident packages begin going out in October. FAFSA priority filing date is generally December 1.

Are test scores required?

No — MSU is test-optional for admission and scholarship consideration; a self-reported cumulative GPA is what drives the automatic awards. ACT/SAT may be submitted for math/writing placement only.

Montana State· Renewal Rules

Keeping Montana State’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified Jun 2026today· COWORK

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 4 of 5
One-time tiers: 1
Tiers with published renewal terms: 4
Renewal risk profile: moderate

Renewal risk profile

Montana State's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

Montana Premier Scholarship (resident automatic grid): See notes
Achievement Award (non-resident automatic grid): See notes
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Scholarship: 2.5 GPA
Montana Treasure State First Generation Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

Montana Premier Scholarship (resident automatic grid)
$1,000-$4,000
Entry requirements: 4.0+ = $4,000; 3.5-3.99 = $3,000; 3.0-3.49 = $2,000; 2.7-2.99 = $1,000 (cumulative HS GPA) GPA · Not required (test-optional) SAT · Not required (test-optional) ACT
To keep it: Renewable for four years; must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater, enroll for a minimum of 15 credits per semester, maintain RESIDENT status, and maintain continuous enrollment.
Source: https://www.montana.edu/admissions/scholarships/residents/index.html
Achievement Award (non-resident automatic grid)
$7,000-$16,000
Entry requirements: 4.0+ = $16,000; 3.84-3.99 = $15,000; 3.59-3.83 = $14,000; 3.29-3.58 = $13,000; 3.10-3.28 = $9,000; 2.70-3.09 = $7,000 (cumulative HS GPA) GPA · Not required (test-optional) SAT · Not required (test-optional) ACT
To keep it: Renewable for four years; must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater, enroll for a minimum of 15 credits per semester, maintain NON-RESIDENT status, and maintain continuous enrollment. Offers are specific to the 2026-2027 freshman class and cannot be deferred to a different term.
Source: https://www.montana.edu/admissions/scholarships/nonresidents/index.html
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Scholarship
Approximately $21,000 off non-resident tuition (1.5x the in-state tuition rate)
Entry requirements: Minimum cumulative 3.0 HS GPA to apply; recipients routinely have 3.8+ GPA · Not required SAT · Not required ACT
To keep it: Renewable four years with a 2.5 cumulative GPA, 15+ credits/semester, non-resident status, and continuous enrollment. Exact value set in May at the Board of Regents meeting.
Source: https://www.montana.edu/admissions/scholarships/nonresidents/index.html
Montana Treasure State First Generation Scholarship
$1,500
To keep it: Renewable for four years ($6,000 total value).
Source: https://www.montana.edu/admissions/scholarships/residents/index.html

How families lose this aid

Planning to renew on a normal 12-credit full-time load
Renewal requires enrolling in a minimum of 15 credits per semester (plus a 2.5 cumulative GPA and continuous enrollment); 12 credits is full-time for other purposes but is NOT enough to keep the scholarship.
Overlooking the residency-status condition
Premier requires maintaining RESIDENT status and Achievement requires maintaining NON-RESIDENT status; a change in residency classification can end the award.

Renewal questions families ask

What are the scholarship deadlines?: WUE: January 8, 2026 (now closed for 2026-27). Cat Scholarships (departmental): February 1, 2026. The automatic Premier/Achievement awards have no separate application — apply for admission with a self-reported GPA; non-resident packages begin going out in October. FAFSA priority filing date is generally December 1.
Are test scores required?: No — MSU is test-optional for admission and scholarship consideration; a self-reported cumulative GPA is what drives the automatic awards. ACT/SAT may be submitted for math/writing placement only.

How Montana State compares across our verified dataset

247 of 272 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Montana State is one of them. The cohort minority (25 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against Montana State’s own published materials.