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 2022 Dual Enrollment Educator Scholarship Recipients
Susan Bleken, Powell County High School
Bleken has been teaching mathematics at Powell County High School since 2014. During this time, she implemented special projects that include treasure hunting with applications of vectors, a hypothetical oil spill research project that explores limits, roller coasters, 3-dimensional modeling of volume and rotation, as well as multiple hands-on statistics projects. Some traditional methods are a necessary part of learning; but so are methods that encourage students to think outside the box.
Jessica Miller, Fergus High School
Miller has been teaching Spanish at Fergus High School in Lewistown, MT for ten years. She studied Spanish at CarrollCollege in Helena and earned her teaching certification and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Montana State University inBozeman. She lived and taught in Central America for five years where she came to appreciate the Spanish Language and the power of education even more deeply.
Taylor Olsen, Harlowton High School
Olsen will enter her 8th year teaching this fall, 7 of those being in Harlowton, where she lives with her husband and 3 kids. A graduate from Rocky Mountain College with a degree in Social Studies Broadfield, Taylor has taught almost every history for grades 7-12, as well as various electives like Global Studies, Psychology, Native American History, Journalism, and will be teaching a History of the Cold War elective this upcoming school year.
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.
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 opens October 1, and Montana’s priority filing deadline is December 1. 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.
- IRS Data Retrieval Tool - You will have the option to import tax information directly from the IRS into the appropriate fields on the FAFSA using this tool. This could also prevent your FAFSA being selected for verification, which may slow down processing time.
- 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.
