Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation establishes scholarship at Highlands College for Butte students

The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, in conjunction with Montana Resources, has donated $120,000 to the Montana Tech Foundation to fund scholarships that will cover the cost of tuition and fees at Highlands College for high school graduates from Butte over the next four years.

The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation Highlands College Scholarship will help fill a need in the community for skilled welders and automotive technicians.

“On behalf of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation and Montana Resources, we are proud to support Highlands College, our students, and our community with a scholarship beginning in the Fall of 2024,” said Mike McGivern, Vice President of Safety and Community Relations at Montana Resources. “Highlands College is a first-class technical college, training and educating students in skilled trades, which is critical to the country. This will broaden our support of Montana Tech. These scholarships will change the trajectory of some young people’s lives helping them build their career path and acquire in-demand skills.”

The scholarship will fund three students each year, who have financial need, and are enrolled in the Automotive Technology A.A.S. program or the Welding Technology A.A.S. program. Students will receive $5,000, which will cover the full cost of one academic year’s tuition and fees. Eligible students include graduating seniors from Butte High, Butte Central, and homeschool graduates from Butte. The scholarship is renewable for one additional year, as long as specific criteria are maintained.

Chancellor Les Cook praised the new scholarship opportunity as a transformational opportunity for Butte students.

“Our vision is to be the institution of opportunity and innovation, and this scholarship marries both of those ideas,” Cook said. “We appreciate your investment in Butte, in Highlands, and even more so the investment in our students and the lives they have in front of them.”

“This investment into the education of students from our community, helps young people achieve personal educational goals, gain employment, and make a positive impact on an identified workforce need,” Dean of Highlands College Karen VanDaveer said. “This is an example of how industry and education work together to make an impact.”

In 2017, the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation and Montana Resources established the Montana Resources Opportunity Scholarship at Montana Technological University. The Montana Resources Opportunity Scholarship was renamed the Rolin Erickson Scholarship in 2021. The scholarship covers the unmet costs of attendance for first-generation Butte students attending Montana Tech. Graduates of that program are currently making a difference as accountants, nurses, and other important roles.

Students admitted for Fall 2024 will be automatically considered for the scholarship. To apply for admission to Highlands College, click here.