American Indian Student Financial Aid Guide

Meri YoungMSUB Alumna, 2016Master of Health AdministrationHarlem, MT

Montana State University Billings has a policy of nondiscrimination in employment practices and in admissions, access to and conduct of educational programs and activities pursuant to title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Vietnam era and Disabled Veterans Act, as amended, and the Montana State Human Rights Act. Any person with disabilities concerned about accessibility and/or accommodation issues should contact Disability Support Services (406) 657-2283.To access the annual campus crime report, please visit: msubillings.edu/securityTo access consumer information visit: msubillings.edu/finaid/Consumer_Information.htm

What are you waiting for? Apply today.

Need help Getting Started? Need help with the FAFSA or Scholarship Application? Applying for admission? Financial Aid questions? OfficeofNewStudentServices OfficeofFinancialAid&Scholarships 1500UniversityDr. 1500UniversityDr. Billings, MT 59101 Billings, MT 59101 Phone:(800)565-6782or(406)657-2888 Phone:(406)657-2188Fax:(406)657-1789 admissions@msubillings.edu finaid@msubillings.edu

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Meet the 2016 MSUB American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL) Team featuring Bessie Crooked Arm, Sabrina Half, and Violet Birdinground. These students were the 2016 Champions at the National American Indian Business Plan Competition. This is the sixth time MSUB AIBL students have won the national competition.

MSUB students launch careers, campaigns, and creative adventures.

“IchoseMSUBillingsbecauseitwasaffordableandclosetohome.Thestaffandfacultyweresupportiveinmylearningexperienceandhelpedmetoexcelasastudent.

MSUBillingsprovidedmewith the skills and educationthatIcarrywithmeasmycareeradvances.”

-Meri Young

Meri YoungMSUB Alumna, 2016Master of Health AdministrationHarlem, MTHealth/MentalHealth/DisabilitiesManager,EarlyHeadStartProgramforFortBelknapIndianCommunities

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WesleyCarlosJeffersonFrom:LodgeGrass,MTMajor: Business Administration

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Non-Federal Types of Financial AidAmerican Indian Tuition WaiverThiswaivereliminatestuitioncostschargedtoaqualifyingstudent.However,itdoesnotwaiveanyothercharges(i.e.fees).TheapplicationisavailableatMSUB’sFormspage(www.msubillings.edu/finaid/forms.htm).Checkouttheserequirementstoseeifyouqualify. • A Montana resident • An undergraduate student •Haveaminimumof¼bloodquantumorareanenrolledmemberofastaterecognizedorfederallyrecognizedIndiantribelocated withintheboundariesofthestateofMontana. -BloodquantumorenrollmentstatuscanbedocumentedwithaTribalenrollmentcardorotherTribaldocumentationlikea CertificateofIndianblood.IfyoudonothaveaTribalenrollmentcardorCertificate,yethave¼bloodquantum,documentation maybeacceptedsuchasparents’enrollmentdocumentationandbirthcertificates.Ifyouareanewapplicant,pleaseattacha copyofthedocumentationtotheform. •Studentswhohavealreadysubmittedandreceivedthewaiverdonotneedtoapplyagainforthenextacademicyear. •HavefinancialneeddeterminedbyfilingtheFreeApplicationofFederalStudentAid(FAFSA)andsubmittingrequireddocuments. •MustbemakingSatisfactoryAcademicProgress(seenextpage).

Tribal Higher Education FundingEachTribeawardsTribalHigherEducationFundingbasedonitscriteriaandstandards. •CallyourTribalHigherEducationofficeforeligibilityanddeadlines. •TribesrequiretheMSUBOfficeofFinancialAidandScholarshipstocompleteaneedsanalysisform.Werecommendthatyousubmit thisformtotheMSUBOfficeofFinancialAidandScholarshipsat least two weekspriortothetribaldeadline.

ScholarshipsAnnually,MSUBawardsover$1.8millioninscholarships.IncomingfreshmenandnewtransferstudentsmustapplyandbeacceptedforadmissiontotheUniversityorCityCollegecampusbeforecompletingthescholarshipapplication.TheMSUBGeneralScholarshipApplication(https://msubillings.academicworks.com/)isavailabletobothincomingandcurrentstudents.TheapplicationopensNovember1andisduebyFebruary1.

•TheChancellor’sExcellenceAwardsisavailabletoatraditionalornon-traditionalenteringfreshmanenrolledfull-timeforaminimumof12creditspersemester.TheapplicationdeadlineisFebruary1.Goto:https://msubillings.academicworks.com/opportunities/3325for fulldetails. •AmericanIndianstudentsarealsoencouragedtoapplyforAmericanIndianCollegeFundscholarshipsatwww.collegefund.org

Types of Federal Financial AidFederal, State and Institutional GrantsStudentswillbeofferedthemaximumgrantaidpossible,basedontheirExpectedFamilyContribution(EFC)asdeterminedbytheFAFSAapplication.Somefundsarelimited,soapplyingearly(byDecember1)isvitalforreceivingthebestpossibleawardpackage.

Work-StudyStudentswhoareawardedwork-studywillonlyreceivethefundingiftheysecureawork-studyposition.Forthosewhodo,studentsreceiveapaycheckaftertheyperformworkforthejob.FormoreinformationvisitMSUB’sWork-StudyFAQpage.(www.msubillings.edu/finaid/WorkstudyFAQ.htm)

LoansThetypesofloansavailabletostudentswilldependonmanyvariables.MSUBencouragesstudentstoaccepttheleastamountofloansnecessarytocompletetheireducationalgoals.Formoreinformationabouttheindividualtypesofloansavailable,visitMSUB’sLoanspage(www.msubillings.edu/finaid/Loans.htm)

Montana State University Billings and City College are all about access. Access to launch a personalized career path, access to services like free tutoring, student support services and finally, access to an affordable education.

IMPORTANT DATES AND FINANCIAL AID TIPSOctober SubmitanapplicationtoMSUBorCityCollegeduringCollegeApplicationweekandwewillwaivetheapplicationfee. Seeyourguidancecounselorfordatesanddetails.

October1 FreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid(FAFSA)opensfortheupcomingacademicyear(fallandspring)

November1 MSUBScholarshipApplicationisavailable.

December1 FileyourFAFSAatMSUBbythisprioritydate. Tofile,visittheFederalStudentAidFAFSAhomepage (fafsa.ed.gov);besuretoincludeMSUB’sschoolcode(002530).

December1 MSUBbeginsawardingscholarshipsforfreshmenstudents.MSUBrecommendsthatfreshmensubmittheir scholarshipapplicationbythisdate.

February1 SubmityourMSUBScholarshipApplicationbythisprioritydatetobeconsideredforscholarships.

June15 Submitalloftherequesteddocumentsbythisdatetoavoiddelayswithyourfallsemesteraid. Please note: These dates are November 1 for the spring semester and April 1 for summer semester.

July1 Allstudentfilesmustgothroughaprocessknownas“review.”Oncethisprocessiscompleteyouwillreceiveanemail askingyoutoacceptordeclineyourawardofferonyourmyInfoaccount.Ifyouhavenotreceivedanawardoffer fortheupcomingfallsemesterbythisdate,pleasecontacttheOfficeofFinancialAidandScholarships.

August1 Fallsemesterbillsareavailableonline.RemembertologintomyInfotoconfirmyourattendance(i.e.payyourbill) priortothestartofthesemester.

Aweekbefore BusinessServicesdisbursesaidforthosestudentswhosefileshavebeenreviewed,andwhohaveconfirmedthesemesterbegins attendanceforthesemesterontheirmyInfoaccount.

IMPORTANT FINANCIAL AID DEFINITIONSVerification -TheUSDepartmentofEducation(ED)selectsapproximately30%ofFAFSAapplicantsforaprocessknownasverification.OnceEDselectsastudentforverificationandnotifiesMSUB,theOfficeofFinancialAidandScholarshipswillasktheselectedstudenttosubmitadditionaldocumentation,whichwillbecomparedtothestudent’sinformationontheFAFSA.CompletingthisprocessensuresthattheinformationontheFAFSAisaccurateandstudentsreceivethecorrectamountoffederalaid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) -Studentsreceivingfederalfinancialaidarerequiredtomaketimelyandsatisfactoryacademicprogresstowardsthecompletionoftheirdegreeorcertificate.InordertomaintainSAPstudentsmust: •Maintaina2.0GPA(undergraduates), •Successfullycompleteatleast67%ofthecreditstheyattempt,and •Earnadegreewithinthemaximumtimeframeallowed(150%ofthepublishedlengthoftheirprogram,measuredbycreditsattempted). StudentsthatfailtomakeSAPmayhavetheirfinancialaidsuspendedandwouldneedtoappealtobeconsideredfor reinstatementoffinancialaid.

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