University of Montana: merit scholarships by GPA
University of Montana awards automatic merit aid from a published grid keyed to GPA — the ACT is not used. Awards start at a 3.0 GPA and reach $18,000 a year. Because the bands are steps rather than a slope, a hundredth of a GPA point is worth nothing inside a band and the whole step at the edge of one.
Enter a GPA below to see which band it actually lands in, what that band pays, and what the next band needs.
Read this first
The UM Academic Achievement Scholarship is awarded to OUT-OF-STATE students only — Montana residents are not eligible and are considered for other awards instead. A student who later establishes Montana residency, or who takes the WUE rate, forfeits it.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — a 3.60 GPA
UM Academic Achievement Scholarship
$14,000 / year
About $56,000 over four years, if it renews.
Montana awards this on GPA alone, so an ACT score does not change it. A higher score can still matter for admission, for honours programmes, and at other schools on the list — but not for this award.
The ACT doesn't move the money here — but it still decides admission, honours eligibility, and what they is worth at the other schools on the list, where most awards are score-keyed.
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The published Montana merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from University of Montana’s own pages for Fall 2025 and later entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
Out-of-state students
Montana residents are not eligible for this award at any GPA. Students are considered automatically on applying for admission by March 1.
$18,000
UM Academic Achievement Scholarship
No score needed
$16,000
UM Academic Achievement Scholarship
No score needed
$14,000
UM Academic Achievement Scholarship
No score needed
$12,500
UM Academic Achievement Scholarship
No score needed
$5,000
UM Academic Achievement Scholarship
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| UM Academic Achievement Scholarship | — | $18,000 |
| UM Academic Achievement Scholarship | — | $16,000 |
| UM Academic Achievement Scholarship | — | $14,000 |
| UM Academic Achievement Scholarship | — | $12,500 |
| UM Academic Achievement Scholarship | — | $5,000 |
Source: UM Academic Achievement Scholarship (UMAAS) · verified 2026-10-24
Does Montana superscore for scholarships?
Not stated, and it would not change anything. The award uses no test score, so there is nothing for a superscore to improve.
With nothing published, plan for the stricter reading: look up your best single sitting in the grid above, work out your superscore as well, and ask Montana’s financial aid office which one they read before you count on the higher band.
Comparing schools? See which colleges superscore for scholarships — 66 of 501 commit to it, 52 say they do not, and the rest never say.
Montana scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Apply for admission to be considered automatically | March 1 |
Scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive, and official reports sent to schools can take longer, so the last useful test date is several weeks before the printed deadline. Check which test dates still make it.
Where these numbers came from
Every figure on this page was read from University of Montana’s own published pages, linked below with the date we last confirmed them. We do not estimate a missing band or interpolate a value.
- The UMAAS is for out-of-state students only. Montana residents are not eligible at any GPA.
- Taking the WUE rate or later establishing Montana residency forfeits the award — a student who becomes a resident in year two loses up to $18,000 a year.
- It cannot be combined with any other full-tuition waiver and cannot exceed the cost of tuition.
- The bottom rung pays $5,000 with no stated GPA floor, which is unusual — most grids stop paying below a 3.0.
- Renewal needs 15 credits a semester, or 30 across the year including summer. Twelve credits a semester is not enough.
- International students are eligible for this award.
- Montana publishes a separate transfer grid, which is not included here.
Check before you rely on it. Grids change by entry year and schools update them without notice. This page is a reproduction with a date on it, not a guarantee, and it is not financial aid advice. ClutchACT is not affiliated with University of Montana.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Montana?
University of Montana publishes a merit aid grid keyed to ACT score and GPA. See the tables on this page for the current bands.
Is Montana test-optional?
The UMAAS page does not state an admission testing requirement, so nothing is claimed about it here. For merit aid the answer is different: every rung is keyed to high school GPA alone. The page names no test score at any band, so an ACT cannot move this award. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
How much is a 30 on the ACT worth at Montana?
On Montana's published grid for Fall 2025 and later entry, an ACT of 30 with a 3.6 GPA qualifies for UM Academic Achievement Scholarship at $14,000 a year, about $56,000 over four years if it renews.
Does Montana superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated, and it would not change anything. The award uses no test score, so there is nothing for a superscore to improve.
When are Montana scholarship deadlines?
Apply for admission to be considered automatically: March 1. The application and the official score report are both due by that date, and ACT scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive — so the last useful test date is several weeks earlier than the deadline suggests.
Is this Montana scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from University of Montana's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-24. The sources are linked at the bottom of the page with that date. Grids change by entry year, so check the source before relying on a figure for a decision.
Other schools to check
What to do next
Montana awards on GPA — but the ACT still decides what you're worth elsewhere.
Most schools in this comparison are score-keyed even though Montana is not, so the same test still moves the money everywhere else on the list.
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