A new initiative from the University of Montana aims to make college more financially accessible for low-income, in-state students.
The decision to launch the Grizzly Promise initiative came after the university discovered that the number of in-state students from families whose incomes are less than $50,000 was on a slight decline, which came as a surprise because they are often offered full tuition in fees through financial aid packages.
After digging into it more, the university noticed that those students decided that college was not a financially feasible option for them without fully understanding the support available to them through UM.
Take a look back in time when the University of Montana campus looked very, very different!
“What we wanted to do was ensure that they knew the opportunities that were in front of them and that they knew that we were committed to their success, that we were giving them free tuition and fees,” said Mary Kreta, UM vice president for enrollment management and strategic initiatives. “If they want to come, the financial barriers shouldn’t be the problem.”
People are also reading…
While the university has previously offered students like those who qualify for the Grizzly Promise significant financial support, this initiative aims to let students know the opportunities available to them as soon as they are admitted to the university.
All qualifying students have to do to receive the Grizzly Promise is simply apply for admission to the university and complete the FAFSA. It is only available to students attending the main campus in Missoula.
Grizzly Promise was launched at the end of 2022 and is funded through a combination of scholarships, grants, waivers and other forms of financial aid. The support is renewable for eight semesters (four years) so long as the student maintains a 12-credit course load each semester and a 2.5 GPA.
“This really reinforces the university’s accessibility mission to ensure that there isn’t a student who doesn’t choose to come here or choose to continue their higher education after they graduate high school because of a financial barrier,” said Dave Kuntz, the university’s director of strategic communications.
