# Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-209: 53-4-209 Montana parents as scholars program -- department duties > Montana · Statutes · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-209 ## Section - **Citation:** Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-209 - **Heading:** 53-4-209 Montana parents as scholars program -- department duties - **Jurisdiction:** Montana - **Kind:** Statutes - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** MT Code / Title 53 / Chapter 4 / Part 2 / Section 53-4-209 ## Text 53-4-209 . Montana parents as scholars program -- department duties. (1) There is a Montana parents as scholars program administered by the department. (2) The department shall: (a) use state maintenance of effort funds or temporary assistance for needy families funds in a program to provide assistance to eligible households for the purpose of continuation of education leading toward a high school diploma, a high school equivalency diploma, vocational training, an associate's degree, or a baccalaureate degree; (b) allow an individual receiving temporary assistance for needy families to attend an approved educational program if the individual: (i) meets the income and resource eligibility requirements for temporary assistance for needy families; and (ii) qualifies as a full-time student pursuant to subsection (4); and (c) limit approved educational programs to educational courses that are intended to promote economic self-sufficiency, not to exceed the baccalaureate level. (3) The participants may apply for and may be eligible for child-care assistance provided by the department to be paid from the temporary assistance for needy families block grant funds that are transferred to discretionary funding for child care. (4) A program must require a participant to be a full-time student, which means that a participant: (a) shall maintain enrollment in at least 12 credit hours each semester or 30 credit hours a year; or (b) must be a full-time high school student, student studying for a high school equivalency diploma, or vocational training student as defined by the institution in which the participant is enrolled; (c) shall maintain a 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 grade point scale or be making satisfactory progress as defined by the institution in which the participant is enrolled; and (d) may not be allowed to remain in the program after receiving a baccalaureate degree. (5) (a) There may be no more than 25 participants in the program at any one time. (b) Temporary assistance for needy families participants within the 12-month period allowed by federal law do not count in the total number of participants in the parents as scholars program. However, the parents as scholars program may be used to extend a participant's education beyond the 12-month federal period. ## Nearby sections - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-201 53-4-201 Definitions](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-201.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-202 53-4-202 Cash assistance to be in effect in all counties](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-202.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-209 53-4-209 Montana parents as scholars program -- department duties](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-209.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-210 53-4-210 Tribal family assistance plan](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-210.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-211 53-4-211 Administration of programs funded under temporary assistance for needy families block grant](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-211.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-212 53-4-212 Department to adopt rules](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-212.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-213 53-4-213 Department rules binding](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-213.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-214 53-4-214 Distribution of copies of law and forms by department](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-214.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-215 53-4-215 Cooperation with federal government](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-215.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-221 53-4-221 State administration](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-221.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-222 53-4-222 County administration subject to rules prescribed by department](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-222.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-231 53-4-231 Eligibility](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-231.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-232 53-4-232 Application for assistance](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-232.md) - [Mont. Code Ann. § 53-4-233 53-4-233 Eligibility determination for applications](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-233.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MT_T53_C4_P2_S53-4-209. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.