Scholarships & Tuition

Mount Ellis Academy’s desire is to provide a high quality, Christ-centered education to all young people. We believe a Christian education is one of the greatest financial investments a parent can make in their child’s life. Recognizing the cost of a Christian education may seem overwhelming and unobtainable at first, we have provide a number of different scholarships, discounts, student work opportunities and other financial aid programs that may dramatically decrease the overall out-of-pocket cost to the parent/guardian, and student.

Below is a summary of costs for the 2024-2025 school year and some of the financial aid programs currently available. Please contact the Business Office at (406) 587-5178 x102, for a personalized workable financial plan.

Notes:

1. Tuition includes lunch in the MEA cafeteria for village and dorm students during school days.
2. Fees are for double occupancy; requested single occupant rooms (when available) cost an additional $300/month.
3. Registration fee includes student accident insurance, club and class dues, library fees, campus ministries, yearbook, student activities fees, technology, laundry (for dorm students), Chromebook rental, classroom supplies, and other miscellaneous fees. International Students may have other applicable fees. The full registration fee is required of all registrants, regardless of enrollment date, and is non-refundable.
4. The Online Student option is reserved for 9^th and 10^th graders who are Montana residents and meet specific requirements.
5. Amount Due at Registration includes the registration fee, and first month’s charges for tuition +
   room and board.
6. These are the standard monthly payments, which do not include student labor, scholoarships, or discounts of any kind.

Optional Extracurricular Activities (2025-2026)

All Activities listed are optional and costs are estimated.

Payment Methods and Financial Policies

FACTS – Mount Ellis Academy uses the FACTS online tuition payment system for collecting all tuition payments. Parents/Guardians will have several options within FACTS for the specifics of making payments throughout the year. These options include:

• Payment due dates as the 1^st or the 20^th of each month.
• Use of checking account, savings account, or credit card to make payments through FACTS.
  • FACTS charges a small transaction fee when a credit or debit card is used.

A financial agreement outlining the payment schedule for the full year should be completed for each student before registration and will be sent out to the parent/guardian for review. No payments will be due until this financial agreement between MEA and the parent/guardian is finalized, and the student is fully enrolled.

Delinquent Accounts – Missed payments not received or an acceptable arrangement not made by the 10^th of the following month will be referred to the Finance Committee for further action.

Account balances myst be paid in full before diplomas and/or transcripts are released.

Early Withdrawal – If students withdraw part-way through the school year, tuition will be prorated through the final week that they are enrolled.

Annual Payments – Paying the entire year up front can be made via cash or check at the institution if desired. Families that choose to pay annually will still need to sign up for payments through FACTS for incidental billing throughout the year.

Accounting for Student Labor – When a financial plan is finalized within FACTS, the last payment for the year will include the budgeted amount that the student is supposed to contribute to their bill from the work program, making the final payment amount appear larger than the earlier payments. As the student works on campus throughout the school year, their earnings will be applied to this final payment and bring it down as time goes on. If the student does not work enough hours to meet the agreed-upon amount by the end of the school year, the remaining budgeted amount will be added to the final payment.

Student Labor

School Year Labor

Work assignments are based on availability, class schedules, student interest, work ethic, and previous work performance. While we work hard to provide job opportunities, MEA can make no promises or guarantees regarding the number of hours worked or wages earned, as these factors depend upon the individual student and are subject to federal and state child labor laws and regulations. Student activities, sports, class schedules, and/or sickness can interrupt work schedules and therefore affect payroll estimates. Students will have the opportunity to make up any missed work hours.

Students are paid the Montana state minimum wage or more on a monthly pay period cycle. Families can choose to assign the student’s earnings (net taxes) directly to tuition. For students to qualify for Financial Aid, 100% of their earnings (outside of tithe) must be applied to their tuition. Students can choose to have tithe deducted from their paycheck and remitted to the Montana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

On AVERAGE, a student can earn approximately $1,800 (under 16 years of age) and $2,800 (over 16 years of age) during the school year.

Summer Labor

MEA offers limited campus jobs for Village students. A student working over the summer can generally earn enough funds to pay for the upcoming year’s registration fees.

Cost Savings

Food, utilities and other household expenses are covered in the Room and Board costs for a dorm student and lunch in MEA cafeteria on school day is provided for all village students. We estimate a family savings of $250 to $350 a month per dorm student and $100-$150 a month per village student. Additionally, regular nightly recreation and weekend entertainment events are provided, which could result in further cost savings.

Discounts

Pre-Payment Discounts

Those who pay annually or by semester will receive the following discounts:

• Annual Payment Discount (5%) due by Registration
  • 7-Day Dorm discount for the year: $1,026
  • 5-Day Dorm: $912.75
  • Village: $654.50
  • Online: $608.25
• Semester Discount(4%) due at start of semesters
  • 7-Day Dorm discount per semester: $410.30
  • 5-Day Dorm: $365.10
  • Village: $261.80
  • Online: $243.30

Family Discount

For two or more students from the same immediate family.

• $300 each or $30 monthly.

Distance Discount

For qualifying students that live more than 500 miles from campus.

• $400-$700 annually or $40-$70 monthly.

New Student Referrals

Current MEA families can receive a discount for referring up to five new families per year.

• The discount will be applied to the referring family’s second semester if the new/referred family stays with MEA for at least one semester.
• The discount is $1,088, which is equivalent to one month’s tuition payment (not including boarding fees).
• The referred family must be new to the Mount Ellis School system, which means they haven’t had a student enrolled in Mount Ellis Elementary or Mount Ellis Academy before.

Grants and Scholarships

Continuing Education Grant for New Students

• $25 awarded for each year the student attended a Seventh-day Adventist school from 1^st through 8^th grade.
• Only applies to the student’s first year at MEA

GPA Scholarship

For new students based on their 8^th grade/previous high school cumulative GPA.

• GPA of 3.5-3.74 — $300
• GPA of 3.75-3.99 — $400
• GPA of 4.00 — $500

Literature Evangelism/Summer Camp Scholarship

MEA will match 25% up to $2000 of student earnings from a Literature Evangelism or a summer camp job (max award $500).

ACE Scholarship

ACE Scholarships is an organization that partners with MEA to award partial tuition scholarships to low-income families. Because ACE Scholarships believes that every child deserves a quality education, they award annual scholarships that average around $3,000 to qualifying students. Families can reapply with ACE Scholarships annually. MEA has limited ACE Scholarships opportunities available.

Other Scholarships

These scholarships are based on donated funds and specific critera.

• Farnsworth Memorial
  • This is a merit-based scholarship with a submission deadline of August 1.
• NPUC Hispanic Scholarship
  • This scholarship is open to students of Hispanic descent and has a submission deadling of August 1.
• Bardell Scholarship
  • This scholarship is open to students who are residents of Kalispell, MT with a max award of $1,000
• Dixon Music Scholarship
  • This scholarship is designated for music-related classes and is awarded to students who show a passion for music and need financial assistance.
• Mountain Mover Athletic Scholarship
  • The Mountain Mover Athletic Scholarship was established in 2024 to support student-athletes who demonstrate financial need and are committed to excelling both on and off the field. This needs-based scholarship is designed to help cover athletic costs, ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder our athletes from reaching their full potential.  There are five $200 awards available per year to help offset athletic fees for students who participate in Varsity/JV Volleyball, Varsity Soccer, and Varsity/JV Mens’ Basketball, and Women’s Varsity Basketball.
  • Applicants must apply for this scholarship, providing an opportunity to those who truly embody the spirit of perseverance and dedication. The Mountain Mover Athletic Scholarship aims to empower our athletes, helping them climb higher and achieve their dreams.
• Please download the Financial Aid Application and return it to finance@mtellis.org.

Student Financial Aid and Sponsorships

Student Sponsorships

Individuals can sponsor students by either increasing the student’s hourly campus labor earnings (by “matching” the earnings or by pledging a specific dollar amount per hour that the student works) or by donating a flat dollar amount per month or per year. Sponsorship dollars are applied directly to the applicable student’s account. (IRS regulations do not permit tax deductions for tuition payments made for specific students.)

Church Sponsorships

When a church sponsors a particular MEA student, MEA will match dollar for dollar up to $1,000 for dorm students and $500 for a village or online student. Applications must be signed by your local pastor or church board and returned to MEA before the match can be applied.

MEA Scholarship (formerly Worthy Student)

With the help of generous donors, Mount Ellis Academy is able to offer student aid scholarships for payment of tuition, room and board costs. This financial aid and other miscellaneous scholarships are based on eligibility, needs, and availability of funds. Financial Aid cannot be awarded without an application approved by the Financial Aid Committee. Average rewards are $3,500 for Dorm and $1,000 for Village students annually. MEA Scholarships are distributed monthly. Aid is awarded based on the MEA Financial Aid Application. Please download this application and return it to finance@mtellis.org.

Sponsored Donations

Based on extreme financial need and the family’s unique situation, Mount Ellis Academy works with church members and donors to fundraise additional financial aid dollars above the maximum MEA Scholarship’s award amounts. This aid is entirely based on fundraising efforts made on behalf of individual students and/or funds given to the MEA Student Sponsorships Fund. As such, aid is not guaranteed and subject to continual giving. Sponsored Donations may are distributed based on the family’s monthly financial plans and/or as donations are received. Aid is awarded based on the MEA Scholarship and Financial Aid Application. Please download this application and return it to finance@mtellis.org.

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