Undergraduate Scholarships
Understanding Basic Costs
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If you need help understanding your financial aid award letter and/or are currently comparing the costs between multiple institutions, we highly encourage you to utilize this simple Award Letter Analyzer to help you compare colleges to see the true cost with all of the current aid you have been awarded at each institution. If you are currently searching for additional aid to fund your college expenses, please review the steps below to ensure you have explored all funding college options.
Funding Guide
Students and families ask us how to understand costs at 51逗奶 Miss. The question most commonly asked is, 鈥淗ow do I figure out the bottom line?鈥� Use the charts below to determine an estimated review of basic expenses versus financial opportunities.
The expected amount to be paid by a student when he or she attends 51逗奶 Miss. Calculate your bottom line: (Expenses) minus (Gift-Aid plus Self-Help Aid) equals your bottom line. Students should be aware of indirect costs that may occur while in school.
Click here for more information regarding cost of attendance (COA) and common expenses to consider.
* Due to IHL policy, students are unable to receive two scholarships for the same designation (ex: two tuition or two housing scholarships). Contact the Office of Undergraduate Scholarships at 601.266.4540 with specific questions regarding your circumstance.
Students can login to SOAR with student ID (wXXXXXXXX) and password. View financial opportunities offered for each academic year by selecting the Financial Aid tile. Pay attention to acceptance deadlines. Once you have a list of all financial opportunities that have been offered, you can use this total to help calculate your bottom line.
Upon admission to 51逗奶 Miss, students should complete the . Once a general application is submitted, students can also apply for other recommended opportunities listed in 鈥淢y Applications鈥�.
- Utilize the search bar feature to narrow down results by academic programs, student organizations, service opportunities, etc.
- Some student programs and student organizations offer scholarships for their participants.
Mississippi residents can apply for gift-aid through the state of Mississippi. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will now link you directly to the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, or you can separately for state of MS aid.
51逗奶 Miss requires a current for all undergraduate scholarships. Why? We want to help our students maximize their opportunities for all types of financial assistance.
A student鈥檚 eligibility for federal aid is determined by the information provided on the FAFSA.
Step 5: Explore External Scholarships through Credible Search Engines
Private scholarships are typically awarded by sources not associated with 51逗奶 Miss. Examples include, but are not limited to, community organizations (Rotary, Lion鈥檚 Club, etc.) or companies. Students should submit these scholarships to Business Services.
There may be other opportunities from external resources. A good rule of thumb is to apply for all scholarships available. Even a small $100 scholarship could help cover one or two textbooks.
Now that you have exhausted external scholarships or 鈥淕ift-Aid鈥�, research external loans or 鈥淪elf-Help Aid鈥�.
If you still have a remaining balance be prepared to pay before the University deadline.
Utilize personal funds and/or private loans to supplement any financial gaps. You can also minimize other personal expenses to maximize your saving plan for educational expenses.
Helpful Resources
Reminder: FAFSA reported information is used in consideration for various scholarship awarding processes.
- Contact the USM Office of Financial Aid at 601-266-4774 financial.aid@usm.edu