2 Plus 2 Honor Scholarship

The 2 + 2 Honor Scholarship is awarded annually to students who graduate with an associate degree from a 2-year campus of the Montana University System or a Montana Community College (listed below). The scholarship consists of a waiver of undergraduate tuition at any 4-year unit of the Montana University System and may be received up to a total of four continuous (fall/spring) semesters. The 2 + 2 Honor Scholarship Application is available in PDF format.

The scholarship is transferable between eligible campuses provided the student maintains a minimum 3.4 GPA at the home campus at the end of the academic year and demonstrates progress toward a degree by completing at least 30 credit hours per year.

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 or a Governor’s Best and Brightest Scholarship.

Students must graduate with an associate degree from one of these 2-year campuses:

Flathead Valley Community College Dawson Community College Miles City Community College Missoula College UM Helena College UM U of M - Western

City College MSU Great Falls College MSU MSU - Northern Highlands College of MT Tech

Scholarships may be used at these 4-year campuses:

U of M - Missoula U of M - Western Montana Tech

MSU - Billings MSU - Bozeman MSU - Northern

Student Eligibility Requirements

A student is eligible to receive a 2 Plus 2 Honor Scholarship providing the student:

• Applies in June of the year immediately following their graduation (ex...a student that graduates Summer 2012, Fall 2012 or Spring 2013...must apply by June 2013);
• Has earned an associate’s degree from an eligible campus, with a minimum of 3.4 cumulative GPA;
• Has been enrolled and in attendance at an eligible campus for a minimum of two semesters prior to graduating;
• Has been accepted by or is enrolled at an eligible 4-year campus;
• Begins utilizing the scholarship the next chronological semester after receiving his or her associate degree (excluding summer semester); and
• Is a United States Citizen and Montana resident.

How to Apply

Applying for a 2 + 2 Honor Scholarship is a multi-step process. You must complete each of the following steps and submit the required paperwork by the deadline in order for your application to be considered complete (late or incomplete applications will not be accepted);

1. Apply to and be accepted by one of the eligible campuses, as early as possible, your acceptance letter must be included with your application packet;
2. Fill out the FAFSA to demonstrate Financial Need in case of a tie (optional - see “Awarding Process” below for more information)
3. Obtain an application online at www.scholarship.mt.gov or by visiting the Financial Aid Office of any eligible campus (applications will be available January 30th);
4. Request your final transcript, reflecting cumulative GPA, as early as possible, this must be included with your application;
5. Mail your application packet to MGSLP, this packet must include these materials;
   
   1. Signed application
   2. College Acceptance Letter
   3. Final transcript (reflecting your cumulative GPA)

POSTMARKED by June 30th, 2012

Awarding Process and Criteria

Students that apply from each qualifying campus will be ranked in GPA order. The individual(s) with the highest GPA will be offered scholarships until the school’s determined number of scholarships has been exhausted. (See table below)

• In the event of ties, the student(s) with the greatest financial need will be awarded the scholarship(s), where need is defined as the lowest Expected Family Contribution as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This information will be based on the student’s FAFSA the year the student graduates with his or her associate degree. If the student does not file a FAFSA, the student will be deemed to have no financial need.
• If there is still a tie, the tie will be broken by an evaluation of the applicants’ response to a standard essay question, included on the application. In the event the student does not include a response to the essay question, the student will not be considered in this final step of the process.

Number of Scholarships

The number of scholarships offered to graduates from each school listed above is determined at the end of the academic year by the number of associate degree graduates from each respective school per the following table:

Less than 40 graduates 40 to 139 graduates 140 to 239 graduates 240 to 339 graduates 340 to 439 graduates More than 440 graduates

no scholarships 1 scholarship 2 scholarships 3 scholarships 4 scholarships 5 scholarships

Scholarship Retention

Students must:

• Begin using next chronological semester following the award (excluding summer);
• Complete a minimum of 30 credits per year;
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 at the end of the academic year;
• Remain enrolled continuously each fall/spring semester for the life of the scholarship;
• Notify MGSLP if they transfer to another eligible campus during the life of the scholarship; and
• Must first contact and make appropriate arrangements with the home campus, to waive tuition or receive credit for classes taken on-line at MUS qualifying campuses other than the home campus.