Programs Administered by the Commissioner of Higher Education
- Montana Guaranteed Student Loan Program
The Montana Guaranteed Student Loan Program (MGSLP) is the designated guarantor for the state of Montana and guarantee loans on a regional and national level. MGSLP’S mission is to “provide financial access to students pursuing postsecondary education goals.” In addition to guaranteeing loans, the agency provides financial aid information to the public, students and lawmakers through various outreach programs.
- Workforce Development / Perkins / WIRED Grant
Education working in coordination with the private sector to contribute leadership and resources to increase the skills, knowledge and career opportunities of Montanans.
- Montana GEAR UP
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a six year federal grant awarded to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) for the State of Montana. The goal of this federal initiative is to encourage and support youngsters from low-income backgrounds to set high academic expectations, stay in school, study hard, and take courses to prepare them for college level studies.
- Educational Talent Search
METS offers services to ensure that students complete high school and successfully enter college or vocational school. Talent Search is one of the TRIO programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Student Support Services) created in 1965 to provide equal opportunity for higher education to all americans.
- American Indian / Minority Achievement Program
Assists campuses in the development of campus action plans for Indian recruitment and retention, establishing a reliable database and tracking system for American Indians/minorities in the Montana University System, executing the state plan established for the furtherance of Indian educational achievement, and establishing long-range plans aimed at increasing the number of American Indian faculty. The program also serves as advocate for minority education, particularly among and for American Indians, Montana's largest minority, and advises campus administrators and faculty on matters related to American Indian/minority achievement.
- Montana Rural Physicians Incentive Program
The Montana Rural Physician Incentive Program encourages primary care physicians to practice in medically underserved areas of rural Montana.
- WICHE, WWAMI
and Minnesota Dental
Professional Student Exchange Programs
Montana participates in three professional student exchange programs that offer educational opportunities at specific, out-of-state professional programs in select fields of study that are not available in the state: WICHE Professional Student Exchange (PSEP), WWAMI Medical Education Program, and the Minnesota Dental Program.
- Title II - Improving Teacher Quality Through the State Agency for Higher Education
Under Title II, Part A, Improving Teacher Quality State Grants, the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education provides competitive grants to partnerships comprised of schools of education and arts and sciences, along with one or more high-need school districts.
