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Financial Aid & Scholarships

Accepted forms of financial aid:

This section outlines Aerie’s accepted financial aid opportunities through the AmeriCorps and the GI Bill®, as well as the FAFSA. Other financial aid and scholarships may be available for an individual course or program. Please contact us if you have any questions.

  • Americorps Segal Education Award

    The Segal Education Award can be used for any of our courses that are eligible for college credit. These courses include WFA, WFR, EMT, W-EMT, and the Semester in Wilderness Medicine Programs. Though Aerie is not a Title IV school, our credits are offered through a partnership with the University of Montana. Our credits are processed through their Extended Credit Courses (SELL).

    For more detailed information and steps on how to use your awards, follow the steps outlined in this document: Aerie and AmeriCorps Awards

  • Federal Financial Aid

    Many universities offer their students the ability to temporarily transfer financial aid to a different school, such as with traditional study abroad programs. This process of transferring financial aid is called a consortium agreement.

    In order to use your financial aid:

    • Ask the financial aid office at your university if they do consortium agreements; if so, request the paperwork. You may need to meet with your school’s financial aid counselor to work out the details of the consortium before proceeding.
    • You will need to verify that the course’s credits will be approved for transfer by your advisor. Request course syllabi from Aerie so that your advisor can read through the course requirements and make a determination for your degree program.
    • If your advisor approves the credits, you will need 3 or 4 signatures to complete the consortium process: your advisor’s (agreeing to the transfer credits); Aerie’s or the University of Montana’s; your financial aid office’s (essentially agreeing to transfer the financial aid); and your own.
    • Next, fill out the consortium agreement paperwork and list the University of Montana as the host institution if you are currently enrolled in a school other than the University of Montana. If you are currently a UM student, please list Aerie as the host institution.
    • Let Aerie know you want to transfer financial aid. We will follow up with UM or your university.
    • The UM Business Office will write a check to your school. Your school will pay you according to their financial aid process.
    • We will write up a contract detailing the amount due and the due date, which you will sign. For WFAs and WFRs, you will not receive your certification, and for WEMTs and Semester Programs you will not be able to take the practical exam until the tuition is paid in full.
    • Current UM students must complete the SELL Agreement with Financial Aid form at http://www.umt.edu/finaid/forms.php

    A few things to consider:

    • If your school does not do consortium agreements and you do receive federal financial aid, you may want to fill out an In School Deferment Request Form. You can use this form to show you were actually attending school, so that your loans are postponed at least for the duration of your course.
    • Even if you have University of Montana financial aid, you will need to go through the consortium process to transfer funds to Aerie’s programs.

     

Scholarships:

This section details potential scholarship opportunities for courses with Aerie. Please contact us if you have any questions.

  • The Jake Kelley Scholarship

    Jake Kelley, WEMT graduate, loved the mountains and epitomized enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits. He spent his free time mountain biking, hiking, camping and his passion was skiing. He worked diligently to achieve his goals and lived his life to the fullest doing what he loved in the outdoors. He become a WEMT so that he could become a professional ski patroller. He enjoyed helping others and had a smile that would make others smile and keep their spirits light no matter the circumstance. This scholarship is to help others with similar passions to achieve their goals and dreams.

    The Jake Kelley Scholarship is intended for those seeking enrollment in Wilderness EMT courses, specifically month-long intensive courses. This scholarship will be awarded to those who demonstrate a strong desire to use their skillsets towards a future with ski patrolling.

    Applicants are asked to write a short description of themselves, their future ski patrolling goals, and any other pertinent details relating to their outdoor passions. Submissions should not exceed one-page, single-spaced. The amount of scholarship award will be based on the number of accepted applicants and demonstrated need.

    Aerie Backcountry Medicine management, as well as those who knew Jake the most will review submissions. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis (any time during the year). Please submit your document to info@aeriemed.com with the title of “Jake Kelley Scholarship Application.”

  • The Adrienne Corti Memorial Scholarship

    The Adrienne Corti Memorial Scholarship will be awarded each year to a UM student with a connection to the outdoors – and a student who is looking to pursue certification as a wilderness emergency medical technician (WEMT). This scholarship embodies Adrienne’s love of wilderness medicine and the great outdoors. The University of Montana’s Department of Health and Human Performance and Aerie Backcountry Medicine are partnering to create this scholarship opportunity. The scholarship recipient will be able to register for a WEMT course offered through Aerie Backcountry Medicine. Applications will be due the first of April each year, and the successful applicant will be awarded in mid-May.

    Scholarship Criteria

    • Open to all UM students, with preference given to upper level and graduate IPAT students
    • Student can be either part time or full time
    • Student must be in good academic standing
    • Scholarship is non-renewable

  • The Linnea Foundation

    The Linnea Foundation is sponsoring scholarship funding for the training of Emergency Medical Technicians via Aerie. The scholarship fund is intended to support costs of training for individual(s) who exhibit the ideals of an Emergency Medical Technician including responsiveness under pressure, selflessness in emergency situations, and a strong desire to help others.  With this scholarship, it is our desire to make EMT training accessible to a student or students who would otherwise not be able to attend training due to financial limitations.

    The Linnea Foundation is a 501-C-3 nonprofit organization based in Montana.  For more information about The Linnea Foundation, contact Lisa Mills or Nick Mills at (406)370-4052 or follow The Linnea Foundation on Facebook.  This year’s scholarship is provided in honor of Robert Gentry,  whose big heart and compassion inspired the establishment of this scholarship.