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University of Montana scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$32,243per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

University of Montana awards automatic merit on admission. University of Montana does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jun 2026
4 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. UM Academic Achievement Scholarship (UMAAS) — In-State Incoming Freshman Grid$1,000-$4,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    UM Academic Achievement Scholarship (UMAAS) — In-State Incoming Freshman Grid

    $1,000-$4,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Unweighted cumulative high school GPA (see grid)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for UM Academic Achievement Scholarship (UMAAS) — In-State Incoming Freshman Grid

    Who qualifies

    Montana resident undergraduate pursuing first bachelor's; must submit unofficial HS transcript; apply by March 1

    How to keep it

    Renewable for four years; must enroll in 15 credits each semester (or 30 credits/academic year) and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 at the end of spring. Forfeited if not continuously enrolled, if transferring to Missoula or Bitterroot College, or becoming online-only. Not available in summer.

    Worth knowing

    Tuition-designated (applies only to tuition). Grid: 3.95+ = $4,000; 3.5-3.94 = $3,000; 3.0-3.49 = $2,000; 2.7-2.99 = $1,000.

  2. UMAAS — Out-of-State Incoming Freshman Grid$5,000-$18,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    UMAAS — Out-of-State Incoming Freshman Grid

    $5,000-$18,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Unweighted cumulative high school GPA (see grid)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for UMAAS — Out-of-State Incoming Freshman Grid

    Who qualifies

    Out-of-state (or international) undergraduate pursuing first bachelor's; submit unofficial HS transcript; apply by March 1

    How to keep it

    Renewable for four years; 15 credits/semester (or 30/year) and 2.5 cumulative GPA at end of spring. Forfeited if not continuously enrolled, if transferring to Missoula College, if AWARDED THE WUE, if you ESTABLISH MONTANA RESIDENCY, or become online-only.

    Worth knowing

    Tuition-designated. Grid: 3.95+ = $18,000; 3.75-3.949 = $16,000; 3.35-3.749 = $14,000; 3.00-3.349 = $12,500; 2.99 and below = $5,000.

  3. UMAAS — In-State Transfer Grid$1,500-$2,500AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    UMAAS — In-State Transfer Grid

    $1,500-$2,500

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Unweighted cumulative college GPA (see grid)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for UMAAS — In-State Transfer Grid

    Who qualifies

    Montana-resident transfer pursuing first bachelor's; apply by March 1

    How to keep it

    Renewability based on transfer credits accepted: 0-29 credits = four years, 30-59 = three years, 60+ = two years. Must maintain 2.5 cumulative GPA and 15 credits/semester.

    Worth knowing

    Grid: 3.5+ = $2,500; 3.25-3.499 = $2,000; 3.0-3.249 = $1,500.

  4. UMAAS — Out-of-State Transfer Grid$0-$12,500AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    UMAAS — Out-of-State Transfer Grid

    $0-$12,500

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Unweighted cumulative college GPA (see grid)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for UMAAS — Out-of-State Transfer Grid

    Who qualifies

    Out-of-state transfer pursuing first bachelor's; apply by March 1

    How to keep it

    Renewability based on transfer credits accepted (0-29 = four years, 30-59 = three years, 60+ = two years); 2.5 cumulative GPA and 15 credits/semester. Same out-of-state forfeiture rules (WUE/residency/online-only).

    Worth knowing

    Grid: 3.5+ = $12,500; 3.25-3.499 = $10,000; 3.0-3.249 = $5,000; 2.99 and below = $0.

  5. Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Tuition DiscountReduced WUE tuition rate (~$13,718 tuition+fees/yr 2026-27)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Tuition Discount

    Reduced WUE tuition rate (~$13,718 tuition+fees/yr 2026-27)

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Tuition Discount

    Who qualifies

    Residents of participating WICHE western states

    How to keep it

    WUE recipients must take 15 or more credits per semester.

    Worth knowing

    MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE with UMAAS — an out-of-state student awarded the WUE forfeits the UMAAS. Families must choose whichever lowers net cost.

Lights up against University of Montana's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office.

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The fine print

Renewal ruleUM Academic Achievement Scholarship (UMAAS) — In-State Incoming Freshman Grid: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable for four years; must enroll in 15 credits each semester (or 30 credits/academic year) and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 at the end of spring. Forfeited if not continuously enrolled, if transferring to Missoula or Bitterroot College, or becoming online-only. Not available in summer. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Aid capHard $32,243 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at University of Montana cannot push the package past $32,243. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes University of Montana different

UM's automatic UMAAS scholarship pays on a published high-school-GPA grid that differs sharply by residency ($1,000-$4,000 in-state vs $5,000-$18,000 out-of-state), but it's a tuition-only award that you forfeit if you take the WUE discount or establish Montana residency.

Merit tiers54 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJun 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take University of Montana's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. For out-of-state students the two are mutually exclusive — being awarded the WUE forfeits the UMAAS. You must compare net cost under each path and choose one.

  2. An out-of-state UMAAS recipient who establishes Montana residency forfeits the UMAAS (which can be $5,000-$18,000/yr), potentially a net loss versus keeping non-resident status.

  3. UMAAS is tuition-designated — it applies only to tuition, never to housing, food, or fees, and stacked tuition waivers can't exceed the cost of tuition.

  4. Renewal requires 15 credits each semester (or 30/year) and a 2.5 cumulative GPA at the end of spring; the award won't even disburse in a semester until you're enrolled in 15+ credits, and it isn't available in summer.

  5. Automatic consideration requires applying by March 1, and any offer is preliminary until you submit an unofficial high school (or prior-college) transcript.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Out-of-state students with a 3.95+ GPA win the largest automatic award ($18,000); the decision between UMAAS and the WUE discount is the central trade-off, since you cannot have both.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $32,243 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at University of Montana, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at University of Montana, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$13,960
$30,001–$48,000$14,892
$48,001–$75,000$17,180
$75,001–$110,000$19,269
$110,001+$20,930
All income levels (average)$16,784

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$8,552
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$33,671
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$16,784

That works out to roughly a 29% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $23,570 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

University of Montana is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
48%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
75%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$22,400 (~$237/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$44,511
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
33%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
48%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

UMAAS is tuition-designated: it can only be applied to tuition and cannot be combined with any other full-tuition waiver. If a student holds multiple tuition-designated awards, the total of all tuition waivers cannot exceed the cost of tuition; UMAAS is reduced or canceled if the student receives another tuition waiver or third-party tuition coverage. Out-of-state UMAAS is forfeited entirely if the student is awarded the WUE or establishes Montana residency.

Cap is a TUITION cap. UMAAS reduces/cancels against other tuition waivers and third-party tuition coverage; UM may substitute other UM scholarship funds to satisfy stacking policy.

Source

Other University of Montana scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountAmount not published (open the dedicated page)EligibilityNew students (see dedicated page)

Listed under Scholarships for New Students; details not captured

Source

AmountAmount not published (open the dedicated page)EligibilityNew students (see dedicated page)

Need/access program; details not captured

Source

University of Montana merit aid FAQ

  • Do I need to apply separately for UMAAS?

    No — you're automatically considered when you apply for admission, but you must apply by March 1 and submit an unofficial transcript; the amount is set from the GPA on file at admission (you can petition for reconsideration if your GPA improves).

  • Can I get both UMAAS and the WUE tuition discount?

    No. Out-of-state students awarded the WUE forfeit the UMAAS; the two cannot be combined.

  • What do I need to renew UMAAS?

    A cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of spring and 15 credits each semester (or 30 credits per academic year); renewable up to four years for freshmen (fewer years for transfers based on credits accepted).

See sources and other schools

How University of Montana compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    University of Montana is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    University of Montana is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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 claim is checked against University of Montana’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring University of Montana merit aid

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