6 Scholarships for People with Disabilities in Montana
Posted on: Jun 01, 2025
Take a look at these six scholarships for people with disabilities in Montana:
Montana Center for Inclusive Education (MCIE) Scholarships - MSU Billings
Bieber Endowed Scholarship for Students with Disabilities - MSU Billings
Doug and Patsi Morton Endowment Fund for Students with Disabilities - FVCC
It’s also a good idea to talk to your school’s (or prospective school’s) financial aid office. Many schools have a single, general scholarship application for students to fill out, and they’ll award scholarships that you’re eligible for without you having to find them on your own.
Find information on how to apply, and check out the other resources below to help you find more scholarship opportunities for people with disabilities Montana and nationwide. If you’re still looking for more options, or you need some support as you put together your application materials, reach out to Ability Montana for help.
Montana Scholarships for Students With Disabilities
1. Montana Center for Inclusive Education (MCIE) Scholarships
Montana State University - Billings offers scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students with disabilities attending the university.
Eligibility
A student with a disability that meets the definition given in the Americans with Disability Act.
Must be a Montana resident.
Must be an undergraduate student enrolled for a minimum of 9 credits per semester, or a graduate student enrolled for a minimum of 6 credits per semester.
Demonstrate financial need.
Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA for undergraduate scholarships, or a minimum 3.5 GPA for graduate scholarships.
Award Amount
Varies
Application Process
MSU Billings students can apply online for available scholarships.
2. Bieber Endowed Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
At Montana State University - Billings, the Bieber Endowed Scholarship for Students with Disabilities awards funding to adults with disabilities to make life easier for them, their parents, and their families.
Eligibility
Adults (18 and older) with a disability that meets the definition given in the Americans with Disability Act.
Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Award Amount
Varies
Application Process
MSU Billings students can apply online for available scholarships.
Other Info
Dr. Jeannette J. Bieber established this scholarship in 1996 in memory of her parents, who raised their son Jim with cerebral palsy.
3. Hamilton Relay Scholarship
The Hamilton Relay Scholarship supports students who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind or have difficulty speaking in their post-secondary education.
Eligibility
Lives in one of the states where Hamilton Relay is a service provider.
Must be deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking.
Award Amount
$1,000
Application Process
Applicants can apply on the Hamilton Relay website.
Applications include a form, essay question, and letter of recommendation.
Other Info
Hamilton Relay is the contracted telecommunications relay and/or captioned telephone service provider for Montana. They award one scholarship to a student in each of the states where they’re the service provider.
4. Todd Family Memorial Scholarship
The Bozeman Chapter of the Montana Association of the Blind offers the Erma King Todd and T. Bayard Todd Memorial Scholarship to eligible legally blind students attending MSU Bozeman (or MSU Bozeman graduates pursuing graduate degrees elsewhere).
Eligibility
Meets the federal definition of legally blind (i.e. receiving social security disability, SSI, or applying to social services).
Attending MSU-Bozeman, or is a graduate of MSU-Bozeman pursuing a graduate program elsewhere.
Demonstrates adequate progress toward an academic goal.
Former recipients may re-apply.
Montana high school seniors may apply.
Award Amount
$1,000
Application Process
You can find the full required application materials here. They include a few paragraphs written about yourself and your goals, current transcripts, scholastic accomplishments, and the name of your diagnosed vision condition.
Applicants can submit a typed application packet by mail or via email.
5. Emil A. Honka Scholarship
For Montana students who are legally blind, the Emil A. Honka Scholarship awarded by the Montana Association for the Blind can help support a secondary education.
Eligibility
Applicants must be legally blind or have a prognosis of serious vision loss in the near future.
Preference will be given to applicants who have completed 12 or more college credits and a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
Applicants must be residents of Montana.
Award Amount
$1,000
Application Process
Applicants can find the application information online and submit completed application materials by mail or email.
Application includes transcript, three letters of recommendation, and an application form.
6. Doug and Patsi Morton Endowment Fund for Students with Disabilities
The Doug and Patsi Morton Endowment Fund for Students with Disabilities supports students at Flathead Valley Community College who have a documented disability and need services like tutoring or special equipment.
Eligibility
Must have a documented disability
Must be a student at FVCC
Award Amount
Varies
Application Process
Applicants must first complete a FAFSA.
Students can apply online for FVCC institutional scholarships.
Application includes a supplemental essay question.
National Scholarships for People with Disabilities
Don’t forget about national scholarships for people with disabilities both in Montana and around the country. Here are a few major national scholarships for people with disabilities to look into:
Additional Resources to Find Scholarships for People with Disabilities
There are many resources out there for finding scholarships, and many sites allow you to filter by criteria like location and disability when you search. There are also some listing sites specifically for scholarships for people with disabilities that can help you find nationwide and Montana-specific scholarships. Try searching with some of these resources:
MSU’s disability services department offers information on disability-specific scholarships.
During your scholarship search and beyond, check out the resources Ability Montana offers to help you gain independence and live the life you want. Groups like Youth Club can help connect you with peers who share your experiences, helping you build connections and share support and resources. Reach out for more info, and find more upcoming events here.