Background

A child of both the post-World War I Depression and the Great Depression, George Vucanovich grew up in an era when a college education was out of reach for most Montana kids. George was born in 1914, the son of eastern European immigrants scratching out a living in Butte. When he died, nearly a century later in Helena, he left a self-made fortune of $1.325 million in trust for the continuing education of deserving high school graduates. 

George managed to attend two years of college but only after working at Wilson Motors in Butte for three years after high school graduation. Halfway through his college career, he went back to work in the automobile business and never looked back. He owned dealerships in Helena and Livingston between 1946 and 1960. During that time, he married Emily Child. Theirs was a love affair that lasted until her death in 1991. Together they returned to Helena in 1960 and purchased Anderson Motors, which they owned until 1977. 

George was active in politics, serving on the Montana Highway Commission under three governors. He chaired the commission for two terms and oversaw completion of the interstate highway system through Montana, an achievement that was formally recognized by President Jimmy Carter. George also chaired the Montana Board of Pardons. Although active in Helena’s civic and political life, George remained loyal to Butte. In addition to the scholarship fund he established for both Helena and Butte students, he left a generous gift to Butte’s Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church upon his death in 2003.

Criteria

Required Criteria

The following are required criteria for this scholarship. Applicants must:

• be a graduating senior of one of the following high schools:
  • Helena High School (Helena, MT)
  • East Helena High School (E. Helena, MT)
  • Capital High School (Helena, MT)
  • Butte High School (Butte, MT)
  • Butte Central High School (Butte, MT)
• demonstrate a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• be enrolled, per the requirements of this scholarship, at an accredited postsecondary institution by the start of the first term of the awarded period.

Reapplication

Previous recipients are NOT allowed to apply again.

Awards

This scholarship typically provides the following each academic year.

Award Type

One-Time

Amount per Award

Typically $500 to $2,000 per academic year.

# of Awards

Typically 40 to 50 recipients each year.

Applying

Application Access Code

26VUCA

Use this Access Code to apply directly for this scholarship within the MCF Scholarship Portal.

Materials Needed

The following materials are required for submission with an application.

• Most Recent Transcript (High School)
• FAFSA FSS
• Reference(s)
• Letter(s) of Recommendation