College Bound 2022

Montana State University Billings: Belong in Billings

Nestled below the rimrocks and overlooking Montana’s largest city, Montana State University Billings delivers a high quality and affordable education to all students. With over 100 in-demand certificates, two-year, fouryear and master’s degrees, MSUB has what you need to succeed. Take online, in-person, or Hyflex classes to accommodate your busy schedule. Hyflex courses let you to join class in-person or remotely, choosing what works for you, depending on your schedule each week.

With over 60 student organization and clubs, MSU Billings is the place to make strong, personal connections with your classmates and our vibrant campus community. Inside and outside of the classroom, we have excellent resources to support you throughout your educational journey. You’ll also have the opportunity to take your learning beyond the classroom with service learning, internships, and research opportunities. Because you’re out in the field learning, you’ll be ready for a career, not just a job when you graduate. University campus graduates earn $4,500*

more than other four-year public college Montana graduates and City College graduates earn $5,800* more than other two-year public college Montana graduates, one year after graduation.

With one of the most affordable tuition rates in Montana and individual attention from your professors, you’ll get a private-college feel at a publiccollege cost. Plus, each year MSUB awards over $1.8 million in scholarships, with awards ranging from book stipends to full tuition waivers. At MSU Billings, you will make strong personal and professional connections, save money while obtaining a high-quality education, earn more in wages than other graduates, and most importantly, be ready to tackle the real world.

Billings was close to home which helped me transition into college. As I enrolled in more classes, built relationships with peers and faculty, and got involved on campus through jobs, clubs, and extracurricular activities, it felt like a place I could call home. I would not be the person I am today if not for my time at MSU Billings.”

Daniel Lurie, Class of 2021

*Source: 2017 Montana Department of Labor and Industry Report

Learn more at msubillings.edu/future Contact admissions@msubillings.edu or call 406657-2888.

Belong in Billings

“MSU

WSC has scholarships available that cover tuition and fees for eligible students in these counties.

Learn more at willistonstate.edu/scholarships

Lifelong Learning for Individuals 50 and Older

Wednesday, March 23

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

• Bumble Bees & Native Pollinators - Laura Burkle

Thursday, March 31

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

• Grizzly Bear Activity in the Five Valleys Area - James Jonkel

Thursday, April 13

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

• Indian Forts and Religious Icons: The Buffalo Road Trail - Sara Scott

Thursday, April 21

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

• A Social History of Montana’s Hot Springs - Jeff Birkby Wednesday, April 27

11:00 am - 12:30 pm

• CSI: Forensic Science - Lee Oly Tuesday, May 10

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

• Native Expulsion and Westward Migration - Richard Bell

Wednesday, May 18

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

• Taming Infinity - Lauren Fern

Wednesday, June 8

9:00 am - 10:30 am

• How Does the U.S. Rank Globally? - Douglas Stowell

Mondays, April 4 - May 9

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

• A Bitterroot Salish Perspective - Myrna Dumontier

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

• Chemistry in the National Interest - Royce Engstrom

Tuesdays, March 29 - May 3

11:00 am - 12:30 pm

• Controversial Supreme Court Decisions - Paul Ulrich

Tuesdays, April 5 - May 10 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

• The Power of Photography - Chris Johns

Wednesdays, April 6 - May 11

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

• Victoria’s Secrets - Julie Taddeo

Thursdays, March 31 - May 12 (No class April 28)

9:00 am - 10:30 am

• Stream and Floodplain Ecology - Rachel Malison

Thursdays, April 7 - May 12

11:00 am - 12:30 pm

• Shakespeare and Blackness - Linda Woodbridge

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

• Epidemiology of Zoonotic Diseases in Montana - Tom Schwan

Fridays, April 1 - May 13 (No class April 22)

11:00 am - 12:30 pm

• War of Empires - Mehrdad Kia

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

• The Cello Sonata - Adam Collins

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

• Slavery, Abraham Lincoln, and Civil War America - Harry Fritz

Fridays, April 22 - May 13 (Four Sessions)

9:00 am - 10:30 am

• Contemporary Art and Culture - Vicky Clark

Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes

Learning for the Joy of Learning

A Lifelong Learning Program that demonstrates its potential for success is selected by The Bernard Osher Foundation to become an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). Each OLLI will be affiliated with a university or college and will receive initial funding through grants. Once the OLLI has proven its ability to be successful and sustainable it receives an endowment to support its continued success. The Bernard Osher Foundation currently supports 125 OLLIs.

All OLLIs are membership-driven programs that offer non-credit courses and educa-

tional activities designed for individuals 50 and older, provide OLLI members engagement through volunteer opportunities, and have an established evaluation process to guarantee member satisfaction. Other than the aforementioned commonalities, OLLIs have the freedom to administer their program based on their individual higher education institution, staffing, demographics, and the needs of their members.

Montana has the good fortune of having two OLLIs. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UM in Missoula (MOLLI) received its designation as an OLLI in 2005. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at MSU in Bozeman (MSUOLLI) received its designation as an OLLI in 2019. The Montana OLLIs are separate organizations, and their fee structures vary.

Montana OLLIs charge a yearly membership fee and tuition for each course. The membership fee provides access to numerous free or minimal cost events and course registration. The amount of the course tuition is based on the length of the course and any unusual fees. Course tuition for a six-session course is $60 to $75. Financial assistance is available to offset the cost of tuition. Courses are typically held once a week during a sixweek timeframe. Events are single-session offerings. The courses and events are held inperson and online. Special interest groups are another benefit of being an OLLI member. Groups provide a more personalized experience for the members through book clubs, choral groups, and strings groups. The fees charged for groups are dependent on the expenses incurred and the number of sessions for each group varies. Montana OLLIs offer a wide variety of courses, events and groups to satisfy the adult learner.

For more information on the Montana OLLI programs visit: Missoula OLLI: www.umt.edu/molli Bozeman OLLI: www.montana.edu/olli

The Bernard Osher Foundation: www.osherfoundation.org

Preparing Your Student for College Entrance Exams

(StatePoint) Love them or hate them, college entrance exams are unavoidable for most college-bound students. While every university has their own specific formula for evaluating prospective students, most schools do require that applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores, and some even require or recommend additional exam scores, such as SAT Subject Tests. To get your student prepared for test day, consider the following tips:

• Practice: College entrance exams are no exception to the adage, that “practice makes perfect.” Many of these exams employ very specific types of questions that are not always encountered elsewhere. For this reason, it’s important that your student prepares by taking timed practice tests at home and by learning more about how each test they’re enrolled in is administered. This way, there are no surprises when it matters most!

• Gear Up: Before test day, gather at least two well-sharpened No. 2 pencils, your student’s photo identification, and an approved calculator. Calculators used on test day should be intuitively designed to save your test-taker valuable minutes. The user-friendly Casio’s fx-9750GIII PRIZM Graphing Calculator, for example, offers an improved keypad for fractions, standard-todecimal conversion and scientific notation. Expanded menu options for programs and capabilities include Exam Mode, Spreadsheet, Python, Probability Simulator, Geometry and Physium, which enables users to easily reference the periodic table. In addition, its natural display feature allows for two-dimensional templates, fractions, roots and other functions to appear on the screen as they are written in the textbook. Whatever calculator your student uses, be sure they are very familiarized with its interface by test day.

• Consider additional help: If your student has taken the exam or a practice exam and would like to raise their scores, a prep course or one-on-one tutoring can make a notable difference. However, these courses can be pricey. Mobile apps can offer test prep questions and flash cards at a more accessible price point, and some of the traditional test prep centers, such as Kaplan, offer less expensive software options as an alternative to in-person classes.

• Rest, Don’t Cram: Preparing for college entrance exams is sort of similar to training to run a marathon. What one does in the weeks leading up to the big day will have a much bigger impact on performance than any last-minute preparations. In fact, back-loading preparations can backfire. Just like you wouldn’t want to run 26.2 miles on tired legs, you don’t want to take the test when you are mentally fatigued. Have your student avoid cramming the night before. Instead, they should practice steadily in the weeks beforehand, but take a break on the eve of the test so they can arrive fresh, well-rested and ready to crush it.

With ample preparation and the right tools, your student can face test day with confidence.

Explore these college savings strategies

Enrolling in a trade school or college is widely considered the next step after a student graduates from high school. College is especially popular, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 62.7 percent of high school graduates went on to colleges and universities in 2020. Finding ways to pay for higher education has long been a goal for students and their families. PrepScholar, a college testing preparation resource, calculates that, by 2033, students can expect to pay around $237,000 at in-state public universities and $464,000 at private colleges or universities for four-year degrees. That high cost is why so many families take proactive steps to set aside funds for college soon after their children are born. No matter the situation, taking the steps to plan and save helps to make schooling more affordable.

529 college savings plan

A 529 is a specialized savings account for college and university costs. Most plans can be opened by a U.S. citizen or resident alien age 18 and older. The individual opening the account can be a parent, grandparent, cousin, or even

a friend. The student is the beneficiary of the account. Four-year schools, community colleges and vocational/ trade schools accept 529 accounts as payment sources. The only requirement is that the school must participate in the U.S. Department of Education student financial aid programs.

Education savings account, or Education IRA

The financial experts at Ramsey Solutions say an ESA works like a Roth IRA but it is designed specifically for education expenses. Individuals can invest up to $2,000 (after tax) per year, per child. The account grows tax-free. The rate of growth varies based on investments in the account. Ramsey estimates that at an average return rate of 12 percent on a $36,000 investment ($2,000 per year for 18 years) would grow to around $126,000 by the time the child starts college. An ESA also can be used to pay for K-12 private school tuition, school supplies, tutoring, or textbooks. It also can be transferred to a sibling if the

money is not needed for a particular student.

UTMA/UGMA plan

This plan is different from ESAs and 529s because it is not specifically designed for college savings. The Uniform Transfer/Gift to Minors Act is in the child’s name but is controlled by a guardian until the child reaches age 18 or 21. This mutual fund account can be used to save for college with reduced taxes, or funds can be used for other expenses, such as a car or housing.

Advanced placement classes

AP classes allow high school students to take collegelevel courses that can be converted into college credits. Each AP class reduces the need to pay for a class in college. This can add up to some significant savings. In addition, performing well in AP classes may make students more attractive to colleges and universities, helping students to earn academic scholarships.

Saving for college can start early and there are various vehicles for families to explore.

The link between volunteering and academic performance

There are many reasons for parents to encourage children who express an interest in volunteering. Volunteering is a social activity that can help children develop their social and networking skills, and many parents credit volunteering with instilling a sense of perspective in their children that they might not have gained had they not been exposed to people from different backgrounds.

Volunteering also has been linked to stronger academic performance. The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that students who indicate they’re doing better in school are more likely to be volunteers than students who report doing less well. The broadened exposure to people and places that students may otherwise not encounter without volunteering also can benefit them in the classroom, helping them more readily identify with cultures and societies they’re studying.

College applicants with volunteering experience also may set themselves apart in the increasingly competitive application process. Though a 2019 Pew Research study reported that most schools admit more than two-thirds of their applicants, that figure is significantly lower at many of the more highly rated institutions in the United States. For example, Stanford University (4.3 percent) and Harvard University (4.9 percent) recently reported acceptance rates below 5 percent.

Though volunteering alone won’t help applicants gain acceptance to such competitive institutions, it can serve as a strong résumé builder and be even more effective if it also produces the previously noted improvements in academic performance.

Agricultural programs at MCC

Founded in 1939, Miles Community College (MCC) was established as the first community college in the state of Montana. Nestled in the heart of Miles City, the two-year college offers a bustling campus with on-site housing, a full athletic program, and a state-of-the-art Ag Advancement Center.

Agricultural programs at MCC have long been a spotlight for students from both Eastern Montana and neighboring states. The college regularly receives students from across Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Canada, looking to continue their education in a variety of subjects. Many of these students have experience working on family farms or local ranches, participating in 4-H and FFA, raising livestock, or competing in rodeo events.

“MCC has such a great variety of ag programs,” commented Kim Gibbs, MCC Ag Instructor. “Ag degrees prepare students for the workforce or for further education in agriculture. Some students come to learn skills and knowledge to take back to the family farm or business, and it helps them stay current with industry standards.”

The MCC program list includes two-year associate degrees in agriculture, aimed to transfer seamlessly to any four-year institution, with courses coinciding with those at college and universities within the Montana University System. Students can earn an Associate of Arts in General Studies or with an Equine Management Emphasis. Associate of Science degrees are available with emphases in Agribusiness, Natural Resource & Rangeland Management, or Animal Science, which is available in both Livestock Management and Pre-Veterinary studies.

Programs such as Ag Education & Leadership and Agriculture & Natural Resources are specifically designed to ease transfer into fouryear institutions to complete a Bachelor’s Degree. Students can complete their first two years at MCC, before moving on to complete the remainder of a four-year degree at schools like Montana State Univer-

sity (MSU) and other Montana universities, without losing credits.

Articulation agreements are now in place for the Ag Education & Leadership and Agribusiness programs at both MCC and MSU to guarantee pathways for students aiming to transfer. The courses in both options at MCC are designed to transfer into MSU, as they align with their four-year programs of study, which allows students to complete their first two years at MCC.

Within the list of other ag-related programs available at MCC are short-term technical training and skilled degrees, designed for students to dive directly into the workforce. Agriculture Production and Equine Studies can be completed within two years, as students are able to develop skills necessary to be hired directly out of college. Yearlong career technical programs are also available and include Ag & Equine Studies and the newly added Meat Processing. Non-degree seeking students are also able to take courses individually as they align with their career and personal development goals.

Commercial driver’s license programs at MCC have always been popular and even more so with the recent shortage of workforce in the trucking and transportation industries. MCC students have the option to complete a single-semester long program for their CDL training, which meets all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requirements. New this year is the option to earn a year-long certificate in Basic Transportation Entrepreneurship, which covers both CDL training and relevant general and business coursework. This new program is designed to develop the necessary skills for persons seeking employment in both entry-level positions and those seeking self-employment in the commercial freight industry.

MCC is continuously evolving and updating both programs and curriculum to meet the needs of workforce shortages and industry standards. For more information about MCC programs, visit www.milescc. edu or call 1-800-541-9281.

7 Steps to Take After Receiving College Financial Aid Award Letters

(StatePoint) Perhaps even more nervewracking than waiting for your child’s college acceptance letters is learning whether they’ve been awarded financial aid. This is the piece of the puzzle that tells you how much it will really cost, and ultimately, whether a particular school is within your budget.

“Decoding award letters and comparing their terms can be a challenge,” says Angela Colatriano, chief marketing officer of College Ave Student Loans. “Just be patient and take the time to understand each offer.”

In a recent College Ave Student Loans parent survey conducted by Barnes & Noble College Insights, 42% of parents who received an aid offer letter found aspects of it confusing, and 68% agreed that terms and layout of these letters varied from school to school, making it hard to compare them.

To make better sense of financial aid award letters, follow these steps:

1. Look for free money: The award letter will list whether your student is eligible for scholarships and grants (sometimes called Merit or Gift Aid). This is money you typically don’t need to pay back. Some merit aid is tied to how your child performed in high school. They worked hard for this rec-

ognition; congrats!

2. Look for Federal Work-Study: Your child might be eligible for Federal WorkStudy jobs. While jobs aren’t guaranteed, they can be a good opportunity to help cover educational expenses.

3. Spot the loans: Schools will list any federal loans your child is eligible to receive. Helpful hint: They may be grouped with scholarship and grants. You should also take note of whether a Federal loan is subsidized or unsubsidized. Subsidized loans are more desirable, as they don’t accrue interest while your student is still enrolled, or during deferment periods.

4. Calculate your net cost: To get an apples-to-apples look at the offers, determine the net direct cost of each particular school. This is calculated by subtracting offered scholarships and grants from the cost of attendance (the total cost of tuition, room, board, textbooks and fees). If applicable, you can subtract work-study aid too. It’s important to do this math, as the biggest scholarship doesn’t always amount to the lowest out-of-pocket cost.

5. Play the field: Some parents have found success in appealing the financial aid package offered, especially if their financial circumstances have changed. Contact your top schools of interest and share the awards your student has been offered. Some schools will match other schools’ award packages or will offer additional funds. You should also

ask about additional scholarships or grants that might be available.

6. Consider other factors: Check if awards being offered are for all four years and understand what your child will need to do to continue being eligible for them, year-to-year. You should also factor in expected increases in tuition, room, board and other fees.

7. Fill the gaps: If after doing the math, you find you have a financial gap to cover, you may also consider a private student loan or parent loan. Look for a lender with great rates, flexible repayment terms, and

the opportunity to customize the loan to fit your family’s budget. For example, College Ave Student Loans offers tools and resources to help you along your financial road to college, along with a pre-qualification tool that offers quick answers without affecting your credit score. To learn more, visit CollegeAve.com.

While awaiting financial aid award letters and deciphering them can be confusing and stressful, the good news is that once these letters are in-hand, your family will have the tools needed to move ahead.

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