Our Advisors

Connect with an advisor in your area for career information, scholarship help, or other education needs. Our knowledgeable and experienced advisors are Certified Career Service Providers (CCSP) and support schools and students throughout Montana. They are a great resource for educators.

Dual Enrollment Educator Scholarship

The Reach Higher Montana Dual Enrollment Educator Scholarship aims to increase high school students’ access to high-quality dual enrollment opportunities by expanding the number of educators eligible to teach courses for college credit, especially in Montana’s small communities.

Eligibility:

Educator currently teaching in Montana, preferably in a high school classified as A, B, or C.

Committed to offering dual enrollment course(s) in current school upon completion of educational requirements (Master’s degree, plus nine graduate credits in content area for General Education Core; additional education as needed for Career and Technical Education courses). 

Scholarship Amount:

• $2,500 per award

How to Apply:

• Application opens March 1 and closes April 1. The link will be available when the scholarship is open.

Our 2024 Dual Enrollment Educator Scholarship Recipients

Josephine Hudspeth, Corvallis High School

My name is Josephine (Josie) Hudspeth and I am a high school teacher at Corvallis High School. Next year will be my fifth year here and I am completely changing positions to reflect what I originally set out to teach; World History/AP World History and Dual-Credit Native Studies. This will be the first year that our high school has offered both AP World History and Dual Credit Native Studies. In order for me to offer this course, I will be using the Reach Higher scholarship to obtain a Native Studies Certificate from Montana State University.

I love being a teacher in our small family-oriented community. Aside from being a teacher, I am a single mom of three beautiful and wonderful children, two girls and a boy. We also have 17 chickens, two ducks and a rabbit! In my free time I enjoy Crossfit, yoga, paddle boarding, going to the Farmers Market and spending time at the river with my kids.

Malary Moultray, Simms High School

I grew up in Choteau, MT and graduated from Choteau High School in 2005. I live just outside of Great Falls, MT and teach high school science at Simms High School. I love teaching in a small school where I know all the students and have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with each of them. I have 3 horses and 1 dog. In my free time I enjoy riding and training my horses, and doing AKC agility with my Parson Russell Terrier.

Rachael Newmiller, Choteau High School

Rachael Newmiller has been a secondary educator for the past twenty years and has been teaching 7-12 science in Choteau for the past sixteen years. Rachael earned a Bachelor of Science in Earth Science, Geology and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, General Science Broadfield from Montana State University Bozeman in 2003 and a Master of Education in Interdisciplinary Studies, Special Education from Montana State University Billings in 2011.

Samantha Thomas, Drummond Public Schools

Samantha Thomas grew up in the Billings area and went to Montana State University for her degrees in English and Art with teaching options. Over the past 10 years, she has taught across the state in schools both large and small. Last year Samantha began her master's degree in school counseling to fulfill the growing need for the profession in rural schools. Currently, she teaches in Drummond, MT, and will take over the counseling position upon completion of her degree. With the master's degree Drummond will be able to offer dual credit courses in psychology and communications.

Dual Enrollment Summit for Educators

Every summer, dual enrollment educators have the opportunity to attend the Dual Enrollment Summit. This summit aims to bring dual enrollment educators from across the state together to share their experiences, discuss strategies for success, and identify evolving trends and best practices for dual enrollment programs. This summit is a great opportunity to hear from others working in the dual enrollment program, build professional contacts from across the state, and earn continuing education units.

FAFSA Resources

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an integral part of applying for college, scholarships, work-study, grants, and more. Check out these resources to support your student's FAFSA needs.

GOOD NEWS, the revised “Better FAFSA” is simpler and easier to complete than ever before. Here are a few of the changes that may affect you:

• New deadlines (check with your financial aid office)
• More students will be eligible for Pell Grants
• Families who receive federal benefits may be exempt from providing asset information
• Reduced barriers for at-risk students
• Financial aid could decrease for:
  • Families with multiple children in college
  • Families with small businesses or farms

Resources We Love

These resources will help you and your students through the FAFSA process.

• FSA ID - Start with the FSA ID. Before you can file the FAFSA, you need to have an FSA ID. Both the student and one parent (if student is dependent) need to have their own FSA ID.
• Federal Student Aid - FAFSA filing starts here. Using your FSA ID, login to FAFSA and start finding money for school! The FAFSA will be available in December this year, check with your financial aid office for the priority deadline. To complete the FAFSA, students and parents will need their tax information from two-years prior to the anticipated start of college.
• Federal Student Aid Estimator - Use the FAFSAAid Estimator to estimate the amount of federal student aid you may qualify for so you can be prepared to apply for scholarships and other funding opportunities needed to pay for higher education.
• Completing the FAFSA Form - Get in-depth information about the FAFSA form and what to expect after you submit your application.
• Form Your Future Social Media Tools - The National College Access Network (NCAN) has developed social media posts as a fun way to inspire students to get their FAFSAs filed!
• Financial Aid Contacts – College financial aid staff are truly the FAFSA experts! They're a great resource to ask FAFSA questions and to help host your event.