Cost & Affordability

Scholarships

The DCC Scholarship Priority Application Deadline for 2026-2027 is March 1, 2026

  • Apply for General Scholarships (ALL students eligible)

    Be sure to submit your scholarship application by March 1, 2026 to meet the priority deadline.

    The Student Scholarship program draws together endowed scholarships and donations into a single scholarship application form. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be submitted for you to be eligible for need-based scholarships.

    Start Your Scholarship Application

  • Apply for the Buccaneer Excellence Award (for Montana students only)

    Dawson Community College (DCC) is excited to offer various scholarships through The Buccaneer Excellence Program for students who will attend DCC. Dawson Community College will award academic tuition waivers to full-time Montana residents, with the exception of the Jump Start Scholarship, who have submitted an application and are not receiving athletic aid in collegiate athletics.

    1. Complete an application for admission at DCC and please let us know what your HS GPA is. 

    2. Complete your FAFSA (DCC FAFSA Code is 002529)

    3. Fill out the Buccaneer Excellence Scholarship application online, or download, print and submit a paper copy.

    Start the Buccaneer Excellence Scholarship Application

    Students may be eligible to win one of the following scholarships, plus the Dual Enrollment Scholarship. Please read the criteria for winning a scholarship before completing a submission. 

     

    Excellence Scholarship - $250-$1,500

    For Montana high school senior students in recognition of their academic excellence.

    $250 for GPA of 2.5-2.99

    $500 for GPA of 3.0-3.49

    $1,000 for GPA of 3.5-3.75

    $1,500 for GPA of 3.76-4.0

     

    Jump Start Scholarship - up to $1,000

    For Montana residents who took a break from their education immediately after graduating from high school and want to start a new chapter in their education at DCC. Up tp $1,000 will be awarded, dependent on students' credit enrollment.

    To keep this tuition waiver, students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits. 

     

    Midyear Transfer Student Scholarship - Up to $500

    For Montana students who transfer from a different college with a GPA of 2.50 to 4.00.

    $250 for GPA of 2.5-2.99

    $500 for GPA of 3.00-4.00

         

    Dual Enrollment Scholarship - $500

    For Montana high school students who took dual enrollment classes though DCC during their high school career. 

Dawson Community College offers a variety of scholarships to students from all areas and walks of life. Though scholarships vary quite a bit on criteria, award, and duration, they all share one common factor: free money for your education.

Dawson Community College offers students two different opportunities to earn scholarships: the DCC Student Scholarship Program and the Buccaneer Excellence Program. 

DCC Student Scholarship General Fund

Thanks to the generosity of donors and the Dawson College Foundation, Dawson Community College is able to provide scholarships through the DCC Student Scholarship Program. The Dawson College Foundation administers over 50 different scholarships opportunities for students. For a list of all foundation scholarships, please visit www.dawsoncollegefoundation.org.

These scholarships are available for ALL students. Based on each scholarship's eligibility requirements, students may win multiple scholarships through the student scholarship program.

The Buccaneer Excellence Program

DCC has established the Buccaneer Excellence Program to welcome new students who are coming to our college. There are a variety of different types of tuition waivers that students can win, including a GPA award for traditional students, awards for non-traditional students taking 6 or more classes, awards for transfer students, and awards for students who participating in a DCC dual enrollment class.

Completing this scholarship only takes 2 minutes to complete and applicants will instantly know how much money they are eligible to receive! Students who are not from Montana or who are already receiving a tuition waiver through DCC are not eligible to win an award.  

Other Scholarship Opportunities

The following scholarships require their own application form and may have requirements different from those of DCC’s Student Scholarship program. 

More Scholarship Information

  • Scholarship Scams

    Watch out for scholarship scams

    Never give out your social security number or bank information for a scholarship.

    There are six common scams: 

    1. Application and processing fees
    2. Loan Fees
    3. Guaranteed winnings
    4. “Everybody is eligible” – Scholarships all have selective criteria
    5. Unclaimed aid myth – “Billions of dollars of scholarships go unclaimed every year”
    6. “We will apply on your behalf”
  • Scholarship Searches

    Scholarship searches are a great way to obtain information on those available for use at any college; below are a few recommended by DCC. Here are a few miscellaneous links for you:

    www.fastweb.com

    https://myscholly.com/

    www.scholarships.com

    www.affordablecolleges.com