Senator Baucus Announces Investment in Montana Education Opportunities

Senator Highlights Grants to Help Montana Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds Succeed

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus announced today four Montana institutions are set to receive education grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Talent Search program. The goal of the Talent Search program is to increase the number of disadvantaged students to graduate from high school and attain a postsecondary degree.

"This is great news for Montana. By investing in education opportunities, we can secure good-paying job opportunities for the future in Montana," said Baucus. "The Talent Search program is making a real difference in the lives of students who participate. I’m pleased to see Montana students taking advantage of this opportunity to get a better education so they can better contribute to Montana’s success."

The Talent Search program is one of eight programs within the Department of Education’s TRIO program which targets low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities helping them to gain higher education.

The program helps students like Amanda Duran of Butte who faced a myriad of challenges in both her family life and academic life and believed she had no shot at a college education. After enrolling in the Talent Search program, she gained access to academic, career and financial counseling. "Talent Search helped me realize that even though life may give you obstacles, college and success is still possible," said Amanda. "My Talent Search Coordinator taught me to believe in myself and that college was for me even if my Mom didn’t go, I had to do it to set an example for my sister!" In June, Duran graduated from Butte High School with a 3.83 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and Key Club. In the fall she plans to attend Montana Tech to study Nursing.

The Talent Search grant awards are given to education institutions with experience serving disadvantaged youth, for planning and development purposes. The program also encourages individuals who have not completed secondary or postsecondary education to reenter and attain a degree.

The Montana grant recipients are Montana Board of Regents, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, Montana State University-Billings and the Fort Belknap Indian Community. The award amounts include:

· Montana Board of Regents -$584,684

· Montana Tech of the University of Montana – $230,000

· Montana State University- Billings – $230,000

· Fort Belknap Indian Community – $317,274

All recipients will receive their award amount over the duration of five years.

Here’s what people are saying about the grants announced today:

· "Senator Baucus has been a strong advocate for the TRiO programs for many years. He has taken an active role in the Senate to ensure that funding for TRiO is maintained because he has witnessed the success of TRiO participants. He believes in providing educational opportunity to all students regardless of the student’s family and their economic circumstance. He is a true champion for low income and middle class families in Montana."

– Dr. Dan Benge, Montana State University-Billings, TRiO Team Lead & Director of Upward Bound and Talent Search

· "Talent Search has taught me that I don’t have to do it all by myself. I have a community of people that I can rely on for support."

– Breezy McDougall, Butte High School graduate who held down three part-time jobs while in school to help support her disabled parents. She will pursue an OSH degree at Montana Tech in the fall on a full scholarship.

· "I first started Talent Search as a junior at Billings Central Catholic High school. It provided me with the necessary tools and resources to apply for college and ultimately succeed. They have set the bar high for to succeed in life and believe I will have a lifetime friendship with the MSU-B Talent Search staff. Thank you."

– Chris Wilkins, Billings Central Catholic High School Graduate, 2011 UM Graduate in Finance & Marketing; Economics Minor; Entrepreneurship Certificate

· "Coming from a family where I had to pay for college tuition myself, I was stressed and worried. Talent Search really helped me prepare for college and gave me tons of information on scholarships. Now, I’m more in control of my future and have Talent Search to thank!"

– Jasmine Bracken-Epperle, Billings West High Graduate, UM Human Biology Major

· "If I wouldn’t have been in the Talent Search program in high school, I don’t think that I would have as much of a sense of direction as I do now. I will be finishing my last semester this fall. I will have two degrees and the desire to go on to graduate school after working a few years to earn my master’s degree in education."

– Rebekka Gratwohl, Laurel High School Graduate, MSU-Billings Elementary and Special Education Major

· "Talent Search provides support and guidance to kids like me who don’t know how to apply for college, who come from a large family in which no one had attended college, and who come from a low income household. Without this program I wouldn’t have known what to do for college or how to prepare because unlike most other kids, my parents didn’t go to college and don’t even know how to work a computer."

– Trey Garza, Billings West High Graduate, MSU-Billings Criminal Justice Major

· "This program did an excellent job of helping me prepare for college, and I don’t know what I would have done without the countless hours of help that I received. I have high hopes that this program will be able to keep helping other students for the future."

– Amanda Edwards, Laurel High School Graduate, MSU Occupational Therapy Major

· "Talent Search gave me the opportunity to participate and experience many things I would not have otherwise. I was able to volunteer, visit colleges, look into financial aid, and take the ACT test twice at no cost to me. Without Talent Seach, many of these opportunities would have been lost to me, but because I was able to participate in this program my college future seems more secure."

– Alli Walsh, Huntley Project Graduate, MSU Engineering Major

· "Being the oldest out of three kids with no immediate family ever attending college, my family and I had no idea where to start. Talent Search helped in every aspect from college tours to ACT prep, figuring out what I want to study in, and filling out college applications. I have passed the information I learned down to my siblings who are now preparing to attend their first years in college."

– Tyler Rickman, Billings West High Graduate, MSU Music Technology Major

Contact: Kate Downen 406-224-5056 or Kathy Weber 406-657-6790