MONTANA BOARD OF REGENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
 Policy and Procedures Manual

 

SUBJECT:  STUDENT AFFAIRS                                        

Policy 501.1 - High schoolMontana university system honor scholarships


November 18, 1999; Issued December 10, 1999

Board policy: 

1.  The Board of Regents of Higher Education will award High School Montana University System Honor Scholarships annually. in accordance with the following procedures. 

2. 1. The scholarships, valued at a fixed amount and consisting of a waiver of tuition, registration fee and a cash stipend, may be utilized at any campus of the Montana University System or Dawson, Flathead Valley, and Miles community colleges as a waiver of registration fee and incidental feestuition, provided satisfactory academic progress is maintained.[1] The fixed amount will be determined by September of the academic year in which the scholarship is awarded.

2.      The honors scholarship is renewable annually provided the student maintains a 3.4 GPA and demonstrates progress toward a degree by completing at least 30 credit hours after two semesters, 60 credit hours after four semesters, and 90 credit hours after six semesters.� If the student is not able to obtain the credits or GPA required for progress toward a degree due to circumstances beyond his/her control, the student may appeal to the financial aid office at the educational institution.

3.�� The scholarship may be received a maximum of 8 semesters.

 

Procedures:

 

1.      High School Montana University System Honor Scholarship.  One scholarship may be awarded to a member of any graduating class having 2550 or fewer graduates.  An additional scholarship may be awarded for each additional 2550 graduates or major fraction thereof.  In cases where a school has ten or fewer graduates and students in the top 25 percent decline the scholarship, the school may award a scholarship to the next eligible student with a grade point average of 3.05 or higher. 

2.      The high school principal must certify to the Commissioner of Higher Education that the prospective recipient is a graduate of anaccredited high school of �accredited by the state Board of Public Education and has been enrolled in an eligible accredited high school for at least three years prior to graduation, ranks within the highest one-fourth of his or her class in scholarship, has a minimum grade point average of 3.05, has met college preparatory requirements (see Section 301.7), and is the highest in scholarship of those members of the graduating class desiring to attend a  campus of the Montana University System. 

3.  The eligible high school students must complete an application to be considered for the scholarship and submit it to the high school counselor, along with a copy of his/her acceptance letter from one of the units of the Montana University System, or Dawson, Flathead Valley or Miles community college.� The application must be submitted to the high school counselor (designated by the high school principal) by December 15th of the award year for the student to be considered for the scholarship.� Any eligible student who does not submit the required application and acceptance letter will be deemed to have relinquished the scholarship.

4.If the recipient of a High School Montana University System Honor Scholarship decides not to enroll at a campus of the Montana University System or Dawson, Flathead Valley, and Miles community colleges, the student should relinquish the scholarship at once.  In such cases where the scholarship is relinquished prior to June 30 of the award year, the high school principal may certify the next ranking eligible member of the same graduating class, but such person will be subject to the same restrictions as the original holder of the scholarship. 

 

5.      If there is a tie between top ranking students, the principal shall use the following process to break the tie:

                     i.      If the GPA for the students is exactly the same, the results of the students� ACT composite test score will be used.

                    ii.      If the students did not take the ACT test, the results of the SAT test will be used.

                  iii.      If the students took both, or one student took the ACT and another the SAT, a comparability chart will be used, with the ACT test score prevailing.

                   iv.      If the test scores are the same, the number of honors classes the students have completed will be used, with the student scoring the highest points in GPA and numbers of honors classes prevailing.

 

6.  A recipient must utilize the scholarship within 9 months after high school graduation. 

7.  The computation of actual grade point averages and the size of the graduating class shall be as of the end of the 7th �6th semester of high school or, in the case of a student graduating in three years, at the end of the 5th semester of high school.  Weighted grade point averages may be used to break a tie.  The student has until the date of high school graduation to meet the Montana University System college preparatory requirements (see Section 301.7). However, to remain eligible the student must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA through the 7th semester (the 6th semester in the case of a student graduating early).

8. The scholarships awarded shall specify the terms of the award and which fees are covered shall be determined by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education in conjunction with the Presidents of the Montana University System and the three community colleges.

    [1] See Section 940.13 of the Policy and Procedures Manual concerning administration of fee waivers.

History:   Item 5-006-R0774, Policy regarding Fee Waivers, Montana University System, amended June 7, 1976 (rescinded); Item 18-006-R1077, Honor Scholarships, Montana University System, October 28, 1977, December 15, 1989, November 20, 1997, May 21, 1998, and November 18, 1999 (Item 104-103-R0999).

Table of Contents or Section 500 Contents

 


SUBJECT:  FINANCIAL AFFAIRS                                               

Policy 940.13 - Fee waivers
Effective November 16, 2001; Issued November 27, 2001

Section 5 under Procedures

5.         The Board of Regents will grant the following waivers to be used at campuses of the Montana University System subject to specified conditions: 

a.         High School Montana University System Honor Scholarships.  Registration fee and incidental feestuition will be waived at any Montana University System campus or Dawson, Flathead Valley, and Miles community collegesfor a recipient of a High School Montana University System Honor Scholarship.[1]  The scholarship must be utilized within nine months after high school graduation.  The waiver will be valid through the completion of the first academic year (2 semesters) of enrollment, exclusive of any credit earned prior to high school graduation.  Eligibility will continue for no more than three years after the date of issuance of the scholarship provided satisfactory academic progress is maintained as indicated in Section 3, "Continued eligibility for fee waiver .

b.         Community College Honor Scholarships.  Registration fee and incidental feestuition will be waived at any Montana University System campus for a recipient of a Community College Honor Scholarship.[2]  The holder of the scholarship must enter the Montana University System within nine months after receiving the associate degree from the college.  The waiver will be valid through the completion of the first academic year (2 semesters) of enrollment, exclusive of any credits earned prior to high school graduation or community college graduation.  Eligibility will continue for no more than three years after the date of issuance of the scholarship provided satisfactory academic progress is maintained in accordance with Section 3, "Continued eligibility for fee waiver." 

c.         Honor Scholarship for National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists.  IncidentalTuition and registration fees shall be waived for National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists from Montana.  This scholarship (fee waiver) will be valid through the first academic year (2 semesters) of enrollment exclusive of any credits earned prior to high school graduation. The holder of the scholarship must enter one of the Montana University System campuses within nine months after high school graduation.  A satisfactory standard of scholarship must be maintained as prescribed in Section 3, "Continued eligibility for fee waiver."  The scholarship is not transferable to another person and becomes void three years from the date of issue.[3] 

 

Definitions: 

1.         G.P.A. means Grade Point Average.

2.         FTE means full-time equivalent. 

History: 

Item 5-006-R0774, Policy Regarding Fee Waivers, Montana University System, as amended June 7, 1976 (Rescinded); Item 18-005-R1077, October 28, 1977, as revised January 16, 1978, April 11, 1978, January 21, 1983, January 30, 1984, November 4, 1988, June 21, 1989, April 26, 1990, July 31, 1990, November 9, 1990, March 22, 1991, July 30, 1992, November 11, 1993, July 7, 1994, November 20, 1997, May 21, 1998, November 18, 1999 (Item 104-103-R0999), and November 16, 2001 (ITEM 113-109-R1101)

     [1]  See Section 501.1, High School Honor Scholarship. Montana University System Honors Scholarship

     [2]  See Section 501.2, Community College Honor Scholarship.