猎奇重口

student looking at a page detailing the Trio student support services

TRIO Student Support Services

TRIO SSS Eligibility & Application

As of 4/8/2025: We are now open for enrollment for the 2025-2026 cohort. Incoming freshmen and transfers will be contacted in early May, following Spring graduation, to finalize their enrollment into TRIO. Continuing UM students are encouraged to apply, and will be added to the 2025-2026 cohort as remaining spots in the 2024-2025 cohort are filled.

To qualify for TRIO services, a student must be all of the following:

  • A U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  • Pursuing their first bachelor's degree.
    • Students pursuing associate's (or other 2-year degrees/certificates), master's, and PhD programs are not eligible for TRIO services.
  • Enrolled at the 猎奇重口 (or "mountain campus") as their main campus.
    • Unfortunately, our TRIO grant does not allow us to serve Missoula College students. Please apply when you plan on transferring to the mountain campus.

Students must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • First-Generation College Student: Neither of your parent(s)/guardian(s) received a bachelor's degree or higher.
  • Low-Income: You qualify under federal financial guidelines set by the Department of Education based on your household's taxable income and household size. View the .
  • Disabled: You have a documented disability.

Eligible and interested? Excellent! In order to apply to TRIO, please follow the instructions below:

Application Instructions

  • Complete the application! Applications may be filled out either digitally or by hand.

    If you do not have access to a computer, printed hard copies are always available in the TRIO Office. We are located on the 3rd floor of Aber Hall.

    • Please note: filling out a TRIO application requires that you or your parent(s)/guardian(s) report your family taxable income. This information can be found on line 15 of the 1040 tax return
    • Income information and verification is required of all TRIO applicants by the U.S. Department of Education as part of the eligibility determination process. This includes applicants who do not qualify on the basis of income.

  • If you are a dependent student (a parent/guardian claims you on their tax return):

    • A parent/guardian must provide their family taxable income and household size on the application. Then your parent/guardian must submit the application from their email.
    • Alternatively, the student can email their application separately, and the parent/guardian can email their taxable income and household size directly to courtney.bentz@umt.edu

  • If you are an independent student:

    • You must provide your family taxable income and household size on the application from your most recently filed tax return.
      • Remember to include yourself in counting household members.
    • If you are unsure if you qualify as an independent student, please see the next tab.

  • Dependency status is determined by certain life circumstances and/or legal statuses. A student is considered independent if they are: 

    • Foster care youth who are aging out or have already aged out of foster care.
    • Legally emancipated minors.
    • Homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
    • 24 years of age or older by January 1 of the school year.
    • Married or separated, but not divorced.
    • The provider for children or other legal dependants, for whom they provide more than 50% of their financial support.
    • A veteran or an active duty member of the U.S. armed forces.
    • Pursuing a graduate or professional degree (not eligible for TRIO services).


    contains more information on dependency status, as well as a checklist to fill out to help determine if you are a dependent or independent student. You can also contact the UM Financial Aid Office for further assistance.

  • Once finished, you can either drop your application off at our front desk, or email it to Courtney Bentz at courtney.bentz@umt.edu. We will then review your application and notify you of its status. 

    You can contact us at any time if you have questions about the application, your eligibility for TRIO services, or your status as an applicant. Our office hours during the academic year are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (MT).

Applicants who have questions regarding their eligibility or certain parts of the application (e.g., tax income) can find most of their questions answered on the FAQ. 

If you are having trouble completing the application as a fillable form, or otherwise have any further questions, please bring your application to Aber Hall 326. You can also schedule an appointment with a TRIO SSS advisor by calling 406-243-5032 or by emailing courtney.bentz@umt.edu.

TRIO SSS is funded a total of $504,749 every year, 100% of which is federal funds. More information on the federal TRIO programs is available on the .