Leadership Priorities

The 230+ Yellowjacket student-athletes are some of the best and brightest of the MSUB student population. Not only do these athletes demonstrate exceptional talent in their respective sports, but they also demonstrate talent in the classroom, with the department featuring a 3.28 collective GPA last year and 40 student-athletes who walked across the stage with their degrees. Your support of General Athletic Scholarships helps attract and retain competitive student-athletes. The competitiveness of the athletic program elevates the university’s positive visibility, fostering a sense of pride and community spirit. For many student-athletes, especially those facing financial constraints, athletic scholarships serve as a gateway to higher education.

There is story after story of how circumstances beyond a student’s control, put them in a situation where they just need a little help to get back on track to continue on their academic journey. The Student Crisis Fund Awards are typically a few hundred dollars, but the impact is worth far more. Often, it is a difference between continuing their education or having to withdraw from school. With a little help, we make a world of difference for our students.

Since 2002, the Chancellor’s Excellence Awards have been awarded annually to incoming Montana State University Billings first-year students who exemplify the institution’s core values of academic excellence, demonstrated leadership, and service to others — skills necessary to impact an evolving global community.

The MSU Billings University Honors Program is receiving increasing applications for our most prestigious scholarship. In 2021, 48 students applied, but only enough funding was available to support three of these exceptional incoming students. We aim to enhance the existing Chancellor’s Excellence Award endowment to $2.5 million. At that level, 20 award recipients would receive $5,000 per year for up to four years or until their bachelor’s degree completion.