Carroll College Gets $1.7M for PA Program
The E. L. Wiegand Foundation grant will support a new physician assistant program at Carroll College in Helena.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Financial Aid
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Carroll College received a $1.7 million grant from the E. L. Wiegand Foundation to support its physician assistant program. The program is scheduled to enroll its first 34 students in May 2028, pending accreditation.
Why it matters
Montana faces a serious shortage of health care providers, and 51 of the state's 56 counties are designated Health Professional Shortage Areas. The program aims to add trained providers to the state's workforce.
The grant is a $1.7 million award from the E. L. Wiegand Foundation, a Nevada-based philanthropic organization, for advanced lab simulation technology and facility furnishings. The program's first 34 students are scheduled to enroll in May 2028, but that timeline depends on accreditation not yet granted.
The players
Carroll College
Carroll College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in Helena, Montana, founded in 1909.
E. L. Wiegand Foundation
The E. L. Wiegand Foundation is a Nevada-based philanthropic organization that funds education, health, and community projects.
The details
The grant will fund lab simulation technology, medical equipment, and furnishings for the program, which will be based in St. Charles Hall and Simperman Hall. The full-time program runs 27 months, with 14 months of classroom and lab instruction and 13 months of supervised clinical training, and will hold up to 102 students across three overlapping cohorts.
Timeline
March 2027: Application for provisional accreditation expected to be submitted.
April 2027: Applications for the first cohort expected to open.
June 2027: Accreditation site visit expected.
Fall 2027: Accreditation decision expected.
May 2028: First 34 students scheduled to enroll, pending accreditation.
Roadmap
Montana's shortage designations cover 51 of its 56 counties, leaving most of the state reliant on a small number of training pipelines. With only two PA programs in Montana and one in Idaho, the new Carroll College program would expand training capacity in a region where Wyoming has none.
Prospective students interested in becoming physician assistants in Montana will have a new in-state option once accreditation is granted. Applications for the first cohort are expected to open in April 2027, so interested applicants should watch for that window.
The takeaway
Expanding training pipelines like this one is one way states with persistent provider shortages try to build their own health workforce. Whether the program meets its 2028 enrollment target will depend on accreditation timing.
What happens next
Carroll College expects to submit its provisional accreditation application in March 2027, host a site visit in June 2027, and receive a decision in fall 2027, with the first cohort scheduled to enroll in May 2028.
Further reading
Explore more on financial aid for students pursuing health care careers in Montana.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Independent Record.
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