Mississippi State University Scholarships (2026–2027)
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Last Updated on August 2, 2026
What This Page Covers:- Tuition, housing, and average family net price
- Automatic merit ranges and qualifier benchmarks
- Flagship and hidden-gem awards
- Honors and stacking strategy
📊 Admissions Snapshot
- Acceptance Rate: ~78%
- Middle 50% ACT: 21-29
- Middle 50% SAT: 1100-1340
- Average GPA: 3.6
Mississippi State is one of the more predictable schools in the SEC when it comes to money. Almost everything is published on a grid: find your GPA, find your test score, and the dollar amount is sitting right there. That is genuinely rare, and it means a family can budget for MSU in October of senior year instead of waiting until March to find out what they owe.
The catch is that the grid runs on numbers most families assume are still changeable, and by senior year they are already locked.
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📌 Mississippi State University at a Glance
🏆 Full tuition, housing and meals available (Presidential Endowed Scholarship Package)
Average Net Price
$15,910/year (in-state estimate)
Average paid for residents.
Automatic Merit
$1,000–$10,500/yr in-state • $12,000–$24,000/yr out-of-state
No separate application.
Scholarships Tracked
55 opportunities
21 automatic · 5 competitive · 28 hidden gem · 1 honors
Typical Qualifiers
GPA 3.0+ & ACT 21+ in-state; GPA 3.30+ out-of-state
Benchmarks for top-tier awards.
Testing Policy
Test-optional
Superscores ACT/SAT.
Key Deadlines
Priority: Dec 1 • FAFSA: Apr 1
Full-Tuition / Full-Ride
Presidential Endowed Scholarship Package
Honors College
Honors Program Available
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Mississippi State (Read This First)
- Your scholarship GPA is 9th through 11th grade only. This is the single biggest surprise at MSU. The number that decides your award is frozen the day junior year ends. A great senior fall does not raise it. If your student is a sophomore or junior right now, this is the year that matters.
- MSU superscores, but February of senior year is the wall. Best sitting from each section gets combined, which helps a lot. The last test date MSU will accept for scholarship purposes is the February test of senior year. After that the number is final.
- Test-optional works for admission but breaks in-state merit. A Mississippi resident with no test score falls off the automatic grid entirely, because every resident tier starts at a 21 ACT. Out-of-state students are the opposite: they qualify on GPA alone with no test at all.
- The big packages replace the grid, they do not add to it. Presidential Endowed, National Merit Finalist, National Merit Semi-Finalist and National Recognition Program are all awarded in lieu of the automatic academic package. You get the one, not both.
- Academic Common Market can cost you money here. MSU participates in ACM, but the ACM waiver cannot be combined with the automatic Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship. For most out-of-state families the automatic scholarship is worth more. Price both before you sign anything.
- Outside scholarships can claw back MSU money. If your total aid crosses cost of attendance, MSU can reduce or cancel institutional dollars. Report outside awards to Financial Aid as they come in rather than at billing time.
- Heads up for current sophomores: starting in 2027, MSU will stop counting the ACT science score in its superscore calculation for scholarship eligibility.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes — Mississippi State University is test-optional.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 21-29; SAT: 1100-1340.
Average net price? About $15,910/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity?
Yes — participates in ACM.
💰 Cost of Attendance at Mississippi State University 2026-2027
📅 2027–2028 Planning Note: The costs below reflect the most recently published figures (2026–2027). Universities typically finalize the next year’s rates in the spring, and we’ll update this page once official 2027–2028 numbers are released.
Planning tip: At large public universities, tuition, fees, and housing usually increase modestly each year (often in the 2–5% range). For early budgeting, families may want to plan for roughly $1,000–$1,500 more in-state or $2,000–$3,000 more out-of-state in total direct costs once new rates are published.
| Category (2026–2027) |
In-State |
Out-of-State |
| Tuition & Mandatory Fees (2 semesters) |
$11,095 |
$30,086 |
| Housing & Meals (typical) |
$15,200 |
$15,200 |
| Total (Direct Costs) |
$26,295 |
$45,286 |
Average Federal Net Price: $15,910 — this is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships (no loans), based on the most recent federal data. Your specific cost could be significantly lower or higher depending on your financial aid eligibility and merit scholarships. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
📌 Regional Tuition & Waiver Options
Mississippi State participates in the Academic Common Market (ACM), which lets students from participating SREB states pay in-state tuition for approved majors not offered in their home state. Important caution: the ACM waiver cannot be combined with MSU's Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship, and for most families the automatic non-resident scholarship ($12,000 to $19,000 per year based on GPA alone) is worth more than the ACM waiver. Price both before choosing. The same either-or rule applies to the Veteran, Service-Member, Dependent and Spouse Non-Resident Tuition Waiver, which covers 100% of the non-resident portion of tuition but also cannot stack with the Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship.
Out-of-State Savings and Waivers at MSU
Out-of-state families should read this section carefully, because MSU gives you two different roads and you can only walk one of them.
The first road is the automatic Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship, which pays $12,000 to $19,000 per year based on GPA alone with no test score required.
The second road is a waiver, either the Academic Common Market (ACM) for approved majors or the military waiver for veterans and their families.
Waivers cover 100% of the non-resident portion of tuition, which sounds bigger but usually is not, because MSU’s non-resident portion is roughly $18,100 while a strong student can pull $19,000 to $24,000 from the scholarship track and stack it with other awards.
These two roads cannot be combined. Run both numbers with your student’s actual GPA before choosing.
FAQ — Cost of Attendance at Mississippi State University
How much does Mississippi State cost per year?
For 2026-2027, MSU publishes $11,095 in tuition and required fees for Mississippi residents and $30,086 for non-residents. Add the median on-campus housing rate of $9,990 and the Weekly 21 meal plan at $5,210, and the published direct cost lands at roughly $26,295 in-state and $45,286 out-of-state.
Why is out-of-state almost $19,000 more?
Mississippi taxpayers subsidize resident tuition, so non-residents pay the base rate plus a separate non-resident charge of about $18,100. The good news is that MSU gives most of that back through automatic scholarships. A non-resident with a 3.60 GPA and a 31 ACT is looking at $21,000 per year in automatic awards, which brings the sticker price down close to what a Mississippi family pays.
Is the housing number the same for everyone?
No. MSU publishes the median cost of a double-occupancy residence hall room. Newer halls and single rooms cost more, older doubles cost less. The meal plan figure assumes the Weekly 21 plan, and smaller plans are available at lower prices. Also worth knowing: MSU requires most freshmen to live on campus.
Why are books and travel missing from this table?
Because MSU does not bill you for them. The table above covers direct costs, meaning things that show up on your student account. Books, supplies, transportation and personal spending are real expenses, and MSU folds them into the federal cost-of-attendance figure used for financial aid, but they vary too much by student to publish as a fixed number.
Can an out-of-state student get in-state tuition at MSU?
Not through residency alone, but there are two paths. The Academic Common Market lets students from participating SREB states pay the resident rate for approved majors their home state does not offer. Veterans, active-duty service members and their dependents and spouses get 100% of the non-resident portion waived. Both paths block the automatic non-resident scholarship, so compare the dollar values first.
Is the average net price really around $15,910?
That is the federal figure for what families actually paid after grants and scholarships, with no loans counted. Because so much of MSU’s aid is automatic and stat-based, families with strong academics often land well below it, while families with a lower GPA and no test score can land well above it. This is a school where the number moves a lot depending on the transcript.
Do costs go up each year, and do scholarships keep up?
Tuition and housing are set annually by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board and typically drift up a few percent. Your automatic scholarship, however, is a fixed dollar amount that does not rise with tuition. Plan for the gap to widen slightly each year and budget accordingly.
What is the credit hour trap Mississippi families need to know?
MSU scholarships require 12 credit hours per semester. Mississippi state aid through MTAG and MESG requires 15. A student who registers for 12 hours keeps their MSU money and quietly loses their state money. If your student qualifies for state aid, build the schedule around 15 hours.
Sources:
https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/tuition
https://www.sfa.msstate.edu/cost
📅 MSU Scholarship Timeline (Simple Version)
- End of junior year: Your scholarship GPA locks. Grades 9 through 11 are all that count.
- September 15: Mississippi state aid deadline (MTAG, MESG) at msfinancialaid.org. State law makes this one firm, with no exceptions. Supporting documents are due October 15.
- October 1: The General Scholarship Application opens in the MyState portal.
- October 31: AICE Cambridge and International Baccalaureate diploma scholarship applications close.
- December 1: The big one. Priority date for the General Scholarship Application, the Presidential Endowed application, the Shackouls Honors application, and most niche awards. Test scores must be on file with MSU by this date for competitive review.
- January 15: Luckyday Scholars application closes.
- February (senior year): Last accepted ACT or SAT test date for scholarship purposes.
- April 1: FAFSA priority date at MSU. Verification documents are due June 1.
- August 1: Valedictorian, Salutatorian, STAR Student, Eagle Scout and Gold Award applications close.
Parent rule of thumb: treat December 1 as the real deadline for everything, even though a few awards run later. Almost nothing important at MSU happens after it.
Automatic Merit Scholarships — Mississippi State University
These awards are handed out automatically when you are admitted. There is no separate application and no essay. MSU looks at your 9th through 11th grade GPA and your best superscored ACT or SAT, finds your square on the grid, and that is your number.
MSU does superscore, so send every sitting. The last test date that counts is February of senior year.
💡 The one thing to understand about the two grids
MSU runs two completely separate automatic ladders and they work in opposite directions.
Mississippi residents need both a GPA of 3.0 and an ACT of at least 21. No test score means no automatic money, full stop. Awards run $1,000 to $10,500 per year.
Out-of-state students need only a 3.30 GPA. No test required at all. Awards start at $12,000 per year and climb to $24,000.
If your out-of-state student is a strong writer with mediocre test scores, MSU may be one of the best financial fits in the SEC for them.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 21–24 ACT, 3.00–3.29 GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~21 ACT✎ ~1060 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
These automatic scholarship awards may not be combined with the National Merit Semi-Finalist, National Merit Finalist, National Recognition Program, or Presidential Endowed Scholarship Packages.
💡
Strategic Detail
$4,000 over four years, $1,000 per year for 2026–2027 entrants.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Mississippi residents with ACT 21–24 (or SAT 1060–1190) and 9th–11th GPA around 3.0–3.29.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 21–24 ACT, 3.30–3.59 GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.3+ GPA✎ ~21 ACT✎ ~1060 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Cannot be combined with National Merit or Presidential Endowed packages.
💡
Strategic Detail
$6,000 over four years, $1,500 per year for 2026–2027 entrants.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Mississippi residents with ACT 21–24 and GPAs roughly 3.30–3.59.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 21–24 ACT, 3.60+ GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.6+ GPA✎ ~21 ACT✎ ~1060 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Subject to MSU’s institutional stacking and cost-of-attendance limits.
💡
Strategic Detail
$14,000 over four years, $3,500 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: High-GPA Mississippi residents with ACT 21–24 and GPAs around 3.60 or higher.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 25–29 ACT, 3.00–3.29 GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~25 ACT✎ ~1200 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Coordinated with other institutional funds under MSU’s scholarship stacking policy.
💡
Strategic Detail
$8,000 over four years, $2,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Mississippi residents with ACT 25–29 and GPAs near 3.0–3.29.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 25–29 ACT, 3.30–3.59 GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.3+ GPA✎ ~25 ACT✎ ~1200 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Subject to institutional stacking and cost-of-attendance limits.
💡
Strategic Detail
$10,000 over four years, $2,500 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Residents with mid-20s ACT scores and GPAs around 3.30–3.59.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 25–29 ACT, 3.60+ GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.6+ GPA✎ ~25 ACT✎ ~1200 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Coordinated with other institutional and state awards up to cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
$20,000 over four years, $5,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: High‑GPA residents with ACT 25–29 and strong academic records.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 30–32 ACT, 3.00–3.29 GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~30 ACT✎ ~1360 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be reduced if combined aid exceeds cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
$12,000 over four years, $3,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Residents with ACT 30–32 and GPAs in the low 3s.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 30–32 ACT, 3.30–3.59 GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.3+ GPA✎ ~30 ACT✎ ~1360 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Subject to institutional stacking limits and cost-of-attendance rules.
💡
Strategic Detail
$20,000 over four years, $5,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Residents in the low‑30s ACT range and above‑average GPAs.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 30–32 ACT, 3.60+ GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.6+ GPA✎ ~30 ACT✎ ~1360 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Coordinated with other institutional and state scholarships so total aid does not exceed cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
$32,000 over four years, $8,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Top academic residents earning ACT 30–32 and high GPAs.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 33–36 ACT, 3.00–3.29 GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~33 ACT✎ ~1450 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be adjusted so that total institutional, state, and federal aid does not exceed cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
$16,000 over four years, $4,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Residents with very high test scores (33–36 ACT) but more modest GPAs around 3.0–3.29.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 33–36 ACT, 3.30–3.59 GPA
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.3+ GPA✎ ~33 ACT✎ ~1450 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Subject to cost-of-attendance and institutional stacking rules.
💡
Strategic Detail
$24,000 over four years, $6,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Mississippi residents with ACT 33–36 and good-but-not-perfect GPAs in the mid‑3s.
Automatic
Freshman MS Resident Academic – 33–36 ACT, 3.60+ GPA (Top Band)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.6+ GPA✎ ~33 ACT✎ ~1450 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be limited by total aid rules; see cost of attendance stacking policy. Cannot be combined with National Merit or Presidential Endowed packages.
💡
Strategic Detail
$42,000 over four years, $10,500 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Top Mississippi resident academics; early action recommended for best chance.
Automatic
Freshman Non-Resident Academic – GPA 3.30–3.59 (No Test Requirement)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.3+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
May not be combined with non-resident tuition waiver programs (Academic Common Market, Veteran/Service-Member/Dependent/Spouse Non-Resident Tuition Waivers, etc.) or National Merit/Presidential Endowed packages.
💡
Strategic Detail
$48,000 over four years, $12,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Non-resident students with strong high school GPAs (3.30–3.59) who will be charged non-resident tuition.
Automatic
Freshman Non-Resident Academic – GPA 3.60–4.09 (No Test Requirement)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.6+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Same non-resident tuition stacking restrictions apply as other non-resident tuition scholarships.
💡
Strategic Detail
$64,000 over four years, $16,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Non-residents with high GPAs in the 3.60–4.09 range.
Automatic
Freshman Non-Resident Academic - GPA 4.10+ (No Test Requirement)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 4.1+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Award consists of a Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship component of about 18,132 dollars a year plus a Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship of about 868 dollars a year. Student must be billed non-resident tuition.
💡
Strategic Detail
76,000 dollars over four years, 19,000 dollars per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Top non-resident academic students with 4.10+ GPA on MSU's weighted scale.
Automatic
Freshman Non-Resident Academic – ACT 31+, GPA 3.30–3.59
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.3+ GPA✎ ~31 ACT✎ ~1390 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Award package: Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship ($12,000/yr) + Colvard Future Leader Scholarship ($5,000/yr); cannot combine with non-resident waivers or National Merit/Presidential packages.
💡
Strategic Detail
$68,000 over four years, $17,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: High-achieving non-residents with ACT 31+ or SAT 1390+ and GPAs 3.30–3.59.
Automatic
Freshman Non-Resident Academic – ACT 31+, GPA 3.60–4.09
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.6+ GPA✎ ~31 ACT✎ ~1390 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship ($16,000/yr) + Colvard Future Leader Scholarship ($5,000/yr).
💡
Strategic Detail
$84,000 over four years, $21,000 per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Non-resident students with ACT 31+ and GPAs 3.60–4.09.
Automatic
Freshman Non-Resident Academic - ACT 31+, GPA 4.10+
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 4.1+ GPA✎ ~31 ACT✎ ~1390 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Award package consists of a Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship of about 18,132 dollars a year plus the Colvard Future Leader Scholarship at 5,000 dollars a year plus a Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship of about 868 dollars a year.
💡
Strategic Detail
96,000 dollars over four years, 24,000 dollars per year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Top non-resident academic students with ACT 31+ and GPAs 4.10+.
Automatic
Freshman One-Year Housing Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~34 ACT✎ ~1490 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Covers cost of an on-campus double-occupancy residence hall space for one year; amount is capped at the regular housing rate and stacks with academic scholarships.
💡
Strategic Detail
Award amount varies with housing costs; one-year only award.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Entering freshmen (resident or non-resident) with 9th–11th GPA 3.0+ and ACT 34+ or SAT 1490+ who live in on-campus housing.
Automatic
Alumni Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship for Freshmen
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (2.5 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 2.5+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be combined with the Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship, but combined amount cannot exceed the non-resident portion of tuition; cannot be combined with non-resident tuition waivers.
💡
Strategic Detail
Standard award is $5,000 per year; amount effectively capped by non-resident tuition level when combined with other non-resident tuition scholarships.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Non-resident children of MSU alumni with at least a 2.5 9th–11th GPA.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Only
Transfer Academic Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 3 yrs)
🏫 3.3+ GPA🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
For Mississippi residents this may be awarded in addition to the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship.
💡
Strategic Detail
1,000 dollars per semester for up to five semesters, a maximum of 5,000 dollars, for Mississippi residents transferring into MSU. Awarded automatically based on the transferable GPA that MSU's admissions office calculates, with no separate application. Mississippi residents can receive this alongside the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Any Mississippi resident transferring in with roughly a B-plus average. There is no application and no competition, which makes it one of the few genuinely automatic awards available to transfer students. The catch is that it caps at five semesters, so a student arriving with a lot of credit may not collect the full 5,000 dollars before they graduate.
* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
🎯 The $5,000 ACT cliff worth chasing
For out-of-state students sitting at a 3.60 to 4.09 GPA, crossing from a 30 ACT to a 31 ACT (or 1390 SAT) moves the award from $16,000 to $21,000 per year. That single point is worth $20,000 over four years, because it triggers the $5,000 Colvard Future Leader Scholarship on top of the tuition scholarship.
There is a second cliff at 34 ACT: any freshman with a 34 or higher and a 3.0 GPA also gets a full year of on-campus double-occupancy housing covered, stacked right on top of the academic award.
If your student is sitting at a 30 or a 33, one more test sitting before February is very likely worth the Saturday morning.
Note: These automatic awards renew for up to four years (eight semesters) as long as your student keeps a 3.0 overall college GPA and stays enrolled full time at 12 credit hours. They cannot be combined with the Presidential Endowed, National Merit Finalist, National Merit Semi-Finalist or National Recognition Program packages, because each of those replaces the automatic award rather than adding to it.
Automatic Merit — FAQs (Mississippi State University)
Which GPA does Mississippi State actually use?
Your 9th through 11th grade GPA, taken either from the official six-semester transcript or from the core GPA that MSU’s admissions office calculates. MSU uses whichever of the two is higher. Senior year grades do not change your scholarship number.
Does MSU superscore the ACT and SAT?
Yes. MSU combines your best section scores across test dates for scholarship purposes. Send every sitting. One note for younger students: beginning in 2027, the ACT science score will no longer factor into MSU’s superscore calculation.
When do I need to apply to lock in automatic merit?
Be admitted and have your documents in by the December 1 priority date. Test scores are accepted through the February test date of senior year, but competitive awards are judged on what MSU has on file as of December 1.
Are these guaranteed?
Yes, for the automatic grid. If your student meets the GPA and test benchmarks and gets admitted, the listed award is theirs. That is different from the Presidential Endowed or Luckyday programs, which are competitive.
Can out-of-state students really get a scholarship without a test score?
Yes. The Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship pays $12,000 at a 3.30 GPA, $16,000 at 3.60, and $19,000 at 4.10 or higher, with no test requirement. Adding a 31 ACT layers the $5,000 Colvard Future Leader Scholarship on top of those tiers.
Do these stack with other MSU awards?
Generally yes, up to cost of attendance. The automatic academic award stacks with the housing scholarship, the Luckyday program, and the niche one-year awards in the Hidden Gems section. What it does not stack with are the four big replacement packages.
What happens if my student wins an outside scholarship?
Report it to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships right away. Federal rules cap total aid at cost of attendance, and if outside money pushes you over, MSU can reduce or cancel institutional scholarships. Reporting early lets the office plan the adjustment instead of surprising you at billing.
Is there a resident award for families with lower income?
Yes, and it is often missed. The Promise Scholarship pays $2,500 per year to Mississippi residents with a family income of $42,000 or less, a 3.0 GPA and a 19 ACT. It requires the FAFSA and the General Scholarship Application by December 1. Details are in the Hidden Gems section below.
Sources:
https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/scholarships
https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/scholarships/scholarship-details
🏆 Flagship Scholarships (Competitive Scholarships)
Mississippi State keeps its competitive money tight and clearly labeled. There are essentially five awards above the automatic grid, and four of them are replacement packages: winning one means giving up your automatic academic award, not adding to it.
The one at the top, the Presidential Endowed Scholarship Package, is in a different league from everything else on this page. It covers tuition, on-campus housing and a meal plan for four years, plus $12,000 in enrichment money for study abroad or research. MSU values the package at roughly $107,000 over four years for a resident, and more for a non-resident.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at Mississippi State?
| Aid Type |
Stacks with Automatic Merit? |
MSU Parent Translation |
| Presidential Endowed Package |
No, it replaces |
MSU says it is awarded “in lieu of” the automatic package. You are trading a few thousand dollars for roughly $107,000. Take the trade. |
| National Merit Finalist Package |
No, it replaces |
$12,000/yr plus roughly $8,456/yr in housing, and 100% of the non-resident portion covered for out-of-state students. Note that the meal plan is not included. |
| National Merit Semi-Finalist Package |
No, it replaces |
$12,000/yr, plus non-resident tuition coverage. Semi-Finalist status alone is worth more than the top of the resident automatic grid. |
| National Recognition Program |
No, it replaces |
$10,000/yr for students the College Board recognized, plus non-resident tuition coverage. Competitive, so submitting does not guarantee it. |
| Luckyday Scholars |
Yes, it stacks |
MSU states plainly that Luckyday may be stacked with the Freshman Academic Scholarship Package. This is the one big award that adds instead of replaces. |
| Niche and departmental awards |
Usually yes |
Eagle Scout, STAR Student, 4-H, Key Club and the rest are gap fillers. They stack up to cost of attendance. |
| Non-resident waivers (ACM, military) |
No, blocks the NR scholarship |
A waiver and the Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship are mutually exclusive. Compare dollar values before choosing a lane. |
| Need-based grants and outside awards |
Yes, until the cap |
Everything stops at cost of attendance. Cross it and MSU can reduce or cancel institutional dollars, so report outside money early. |
Here is the honest read for families comparing schools: MSU is not a heavy essay-and-interview school the way some peer institutions are. Outside of Presidential Endowed and Luckyday, the money is mostly decided by a transcript and a test score. That makes MSU a strong pick for a student with excellent numbers and thin extracurriculars, and a weaker pick for a student whose story is far more impressive than their GPA.
Full RideApp Required
Presidential Endowed Scholarship Package
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3.4 GPA, 4 yrs)
Full Ride
tuition, housing, meals, books, stipend
✘ Not stackable
🏫 3.8+ GPA✎ ~30 ACT✎ ~1360 SAT👥 ~approximately 15-20 per year winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Cannot stack with automatic academic scholarships (resident or non-resident packages), National Merit packages, or other flagship-level awards. Non-resident recipients also receive a Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship to cover the non-resident portion of tuition.
📄
How to Apply
Be admitted to MSU; complete the General Scholarship Application in the MyState portal; then complete and submit the Presidential Endowed Scholarship Application by the December 1 deadline. Finalists are invited for an interview and on-campus selection activities.
Selection criteria: Selection based on academic achievement, leadership, service, fit with MSU and the Shackouls Honors College, and performance in interviews and proctored writing.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
Covers tuition, required fees, on-campus housing, and meal plan for four years, plus a $12,000 Educational Enrichment Scholarship; total value is approximately $107,000 over four years for residents and higher for non-residents.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Roughly 15–20 of the most competitive entering freshmen each year, typically with ACT scores in the mid‑30s, near‑perfect GPAs, and exceptional leadership and service records.
Full TuitionAutomatic
National Merit Finalist Scholarship Package
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Tuition
academic merit
✘ Not stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Package: National Merit Finalist Scholarship $12,000/yr ($48,000 over four years) plus a Housing Award of approximately $8,456/yr ($33,824 over four years) tied to continuous on-campus residency. Non-resident recipients also receive a Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship covering 100% of the non-resident portion of tuition. Awarded in lieu of the Freshman Academic Scholarship Packages and the National Merit Semi-Finalist Package. Does not cover the meal plan.
💡
Strategic Detail
National Merit Finalists get 12,000 dollars a year, 48,000 dollars over four years, plus a separate housing award of roughly 8,456 dollars a year as long as they stay in campus housing. Out-of-state students can add 100 percent coverage of the non-resident portion of tuition. This is not a full ride. Meals and books are not covered, and the 500 to 3,000 dollar stipend some Finalists receive comes from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, not from MSU.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Finalists who actually file MSU as their NMSC first choice. Making Finalist is the hard part, but the first-choice designation is the part that gets forgotten, and without it the package does not arrive. Anyone weighing MSU against another school should know that designation is exclusive.
App Required
Luckyday Scholars Program Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Jan 15
✓ Renews (2.5 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.5+ GPA✎ ~20 ACT✎ ~1020 SAT👥 ~approximately 80 per year winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can be stacked with other MSU scholarships, as well as federal and state grants, subject to cost-of-attendance limits.
📄
How to Apply
Be admitted to MSU as a first-time freshman and complete the General Scholarship Application. Then complete the Luckyday Scholars Program application (including essay responses) in the scholarship portal and submit FAFSA by the January 15 deadline.
Selection criteria: Selection based on academic performance, leadership and service, strength and reflection of essay responses, financial need, and program fit; finalists are typically interviewed.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
Award is $24,000 over four years ($6,000 per year) plus access to a structured living-learning community and programming through the Luckyday Scholars Program.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Approximately 80 Mississippi resident freshmen each year who show strong academics (3.5+ GPA, 20+ ACT), leadership, community involvement, and financial need or need for assistance, and who commit to the Luckyday living-learning and service expectations.
Full TuitionApp Required
National Merit Semi-Finalist Scholarship Package
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Tuition
academic merit
✘ Not stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Package: National Merit Semi-Finalist Scholarship $12,000/yr ($48,000 over four years). Non-resident recipients also receive a Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship covering 100% of the non-resident portion of tuition. Awarded in lieu of the Freshman Academic Scholarship Packages; cannot be combined with the National Merit Finalist, National Recognition Program, or Presidential Endowed packages.
📄
How to Apply
Get named a National Merit Semi-Finalist by NMSC, then apply and be admitted to MSU. There is no extra scholarship application for this one.
💡
Strategic Detail
Semi-Finalists who are active Shackouls Honors College members with a 3.4+ GPA may also be eligible for the $2,000 Stewart Bridgforth Honors Scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Roughly the top one percent of PSAT takers in your state. If your child took the PSAT junior year and scored high enough for Semi-Finalist, this is essentially guaranteed money once they are admitted. If they did not, there is no application to submit and no way to earn this one after the fact.
App Required
National Recognition Program Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$10,000/yr
✘ Not stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Cannot be combined with the Freshman Academic Scholarship Packages, the National Merit Semi-Finalist or Finalist packages, or the Presidential Endowed package. Non-resident students may also receive a Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship covering 100 percent of the non-resident portion of tuition.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the General Scholarship Application, then submit the College Board National Recognition Program Scholarship Application in MSU's scholarship portal and upload a scan or photo of your College Board certificate.
💡
Strategic Detail
Worth 10,000 dollars a year, 40,000 dollars over four years, for students the College Board has recognized through its National Recognition Program. Two separate applications are required, the General Scholarship Application and the National Recognition Program application, and you have to upload your College Board certificate. Out-of-state students may add full coverage of the non-resident tuition portion. It replaces rather than stacks with the standard freshman and National Merit packages.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
You have to already hold College Board recognition, which comes from PSAT performance combined with being rural, Black, Hispanic, or Indigenous. Beyond that gate it is not a long-shot competition, but MSU is explicit that it goes to a select number of students and that submitting the application does not guarantee an award. Apply early and do not treat it as money in hand.
* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs
What does the Presidential Endowed Scholarship actually cover?
Tuition, on-campus housing and a meal plan for four years, plus a $12,000 Educational Enrichment Scholarship your student can spend on study abroad, internships or research after freshman year. Non-residents also receive a Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship covering 100% of the out-of-state portion. MSU puts the total at approximately $107,000 over four years.
What does it take to win Presidential Endowed?
The published floor is a 30 ACT or 1360 SAT with a 3.75 GPA in grades 9 through 11, with scores on file by December 1. But the floor is not the profile. Selection runs through multiple rounds of review ending in an on-campus interview and proctored writing, and finalists are notified by early February. Real winners tend to sit well above the minimums with serious leadership records.
How many Presidential Endowed awards are given each year?
MSU’s own pages describe it only as “a select number of the most outstanding entering freshmen,” and published counts vary quite a bit year to year. We would rather tell you that honestly than quote a number that turns out to be wrong. Treat it as highly competitive and plan accordingly.
What is the Luckyday Scholars Program?
$6,000 per year ($24,000 over four years) for Mississippi residents graduating from a Mississippi high school with a 3.5 GPA and a 20 ACT. It is more than money: recipients live together in Azalea Hall freshman year, take a Luckyday course, and complete ten service hours each semester. It requires the FAFSA and closes January 15. Crucially, it is the one major award that stacks with the automatic academic package.
Does MSU have a National Merit package?
Yes, and it is well built. Finalists who name MSU as their first choice receive $12,000 per year plus a four-year housing award worth roughly $8,456 annually, with non-resident tuition fully covered for out-of-state students. Semi-Finalists receive $12,000 per year plus non-resident coverage. Both packages replace the automatic academic award.
What is the National Recognition Program Scholarship?
$10,000 per year ($40,000 over four years) for students the College Board recognized through its National Recognition Programs. Students upload their College Board certificate through MSU’s scholarship portal by December 1. Submitting does not guarantee an award, and it cannot be combined with the automatic packages or the National Merit packages.
Is Mississippi State a Stamps Scholars partner?
No. MSU is not a current Stamps partner school.
What should my student prepare?
For Presidential Endowed, expect essays, letters, an interview and a finalist event. Our Essay Toolkit and Brag Sheet Builder are built for exactly this. For everything else at MSU, the transcript and the test score do most of the talking.
Sources:
https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/scholarships
https://www.honors.msstate.edu/scholarships
🧠 Parent Strategy: MSU’s “Recommended Opportunities” Loop
Getting admitted to Mississippi State does not mean you applied for the money. The automatic grid arrives on its own, but every award on this list requires the General Scholarship Application in the MyState portal, and most require a second, award-specific application on top of it.
- Get admitted first. The scholarship application does not unlock until you are.
- Log into MyState, open Banner, and submit the General Scholarship Application. It opens October 1.
- Here is the part people miss: after you submit, MSU recommends additional opportunities based on your record, and more keep appearing over time. Log back in every couple of weeks through December. New awards show up that were not there the first day.
- Complete each recommended application separately and upload the proof it asks for. Most of these want a certificate, a sponsor’s email, or a counselor verification.
- Screenshot every confirmation.
- Mississippi residents: separately file the state aid application at msfinancialaid.org by September 15. That is a different system with a firm legal deadline.
Parent translation: the General Scholarship Application is a door, not a form. Walk through it in October, then keep checking behind it until December 1.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
None of these are automatic, and most are worth $500 to $2,500. That sounds small until you realize they stack on top of your automatic award and on top of each other, right up to cost of attendance. A Mississippi student who was a STAR Student, an Eagle Scout and a 4-H member can quietly assemble several thousand dollars that nobody handed them.
Three that deserve a second look
- Promise Scholarship ($2,500/yr, $10,000 total): for Mississippi residents with family income of $42,000 or less, a 3.0 GPA and a 19 ACT. It is one of the few need-aware institutional awards MSU publishes, and the ACT floor is low enough that many eligible families never think to look.
- Study Abroad Scholarship ($2,000): only twenty-five entering freshmen get it, and almost nobody applies as a high school senior because study abroad feels years away. The application is due December 1 and the money waits until after freshman year.
- AICE and IB Diploma Scholarships (up to $2,500/yr, renewable four years): if your student is in an IB or Cambridge program, this is worth up to $10,000 over four years and the deadline is October 31, earlier than nearly everything else.
App Required⚠ Transfer Only
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship - Transferable GPA 3.25 to 3.49
📅 Deadline: See notes. MSU's published deadline text is internally inconsistent.
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 3 yrs)
🏫 3.3+ GPA🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be stacked with the Transfer Academic Scholarship for Mississippi residents, and with the Phi Theta Kappa Officer, All-Mississippi Academic Team, and All-States Academic Team awards.
📄
How to Apply
Show Phi Theta Kappa membership, either through your official transcript or by submitting the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship Application in MSU's scholarship portal.
💡
Strategic Detail
1,000 dollars per semester for up to five semesters, a maximum of 5,000 dollars, for transfer students in Phi Theta Kappa with a transferable GPA between 3.25 and 3.49. Students at or above 3.50 get double this amount, so check which band you land in. Mississippi residents can hold this alongside the Transfer Academic Scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Any community college student who joined Phi Theta Kappa and kept a B-plus average. The membership is the whole gate, and it is one worth clearing deliberately, because joining PTK during your first year at a community college quietly unlocks this plus several add-on awards at MSU. Students who skipped PTK cannot backfill it later.
App Required
IB Diploma Scholarship (Level One+ tiers)
📅 Deadline: Oct 31
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$1,500–$2,500/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance; see portal for level tiers.
📄
How to Apply
Portal application including IB Diploma and test score documentation; award varies by level and results.
💡
Strategic Detail
Higher tier amounts are awarded for stronger IB scores.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: IB diploma holders; amount scales by scores and ACT/SAT bands
App Required
AICE Cambridge Diploma Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Oct 31
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$1,500–$2,500/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance; see portal for level tiers.
📄
How to Apply
Portal application including AICE Diploma verification and test score documentation; award varies by level and results.
💡
Strategic Detail
Higher tier amounts are awarded for stronger AICE results.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Cambridge diploma earners; amount scales by diploma level and ACT/SAT bands
App Required⚠ Transfer Only
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship - Transferable GPA 3.50 and above
📅 Deadline: See notes. MSU's published deadline text is internally inconsistent.
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 3 yrs)
🏫 3.5+ GPA🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be stacked with the Transfer Academic Scholarship for Mississippi residents, and with the Phi Theta Kappa Officer, All-Mississippi Academic Team, and All-States Academic Team awards.
📄
How to Apply
Show Phi Theta Kappa membership, either through your official transcript or by submitting the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship Application in MSU's scholarship portal.
💡
Strategic Detail
2,000 dollars per semester for up to five semesters, a maximum of 10,000 dollars, for transfer students in Phi Theta Kappa with a transferable GPA of 3.50 or higher. This is double what students in the 3.25 to 3.49 band receive. Mississippi residents can hold it alongside the Transfer Academic Scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Community college students in Phi Theta Kappa who held an A-minus average. The jump from the lower band is real money, 5,000 dollars more over five semesters for a quarter point of GPA, so if a student is sitting at 3.45 heading into their final community college term it is worth pushing.
App Required
Study Abroad Scholarship (Entering Freshmen)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA👥 ~25 winners/yrMust have a 9th-11th grade GPA of 3.0 or higher and be an entering first-time freshman. Funds are used after the first year at MSU to offset an affiliated study abroad program.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Only 25 awarded per year, and almost nobody applies as a high school senior because study abroad feels far off.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Twenty-five entering freshmen each year who submit the Study Abroad Scholarship Application by the December 1 date. Submission does not guarantee an award.
App Required
Gold Award Scholarship (Girl Scouts)
📅 Deadline: Aug 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 2.5+ GPAMust have a 9th-11th grade GPA of 2.5 or higher and have earned the Gold Award by enrollment. Requires the General Scholarship Application plus the Gold Award Scholarship Application and a copy of the certificate.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Cannot be stacked with the Eagle Scout Scholarship. Otherwise stacks up to cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
The Girl Scouts counterpart to the Eagle Scout award, same dollar value, and just as often missed.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Entering freshmen who earned the Girl Scouts Gold Award by the time they enroll.
App Required
Congressional Award Medal Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPAMust have a 9th-11th grade GPA of 3.0 or higher. Award scales with medal level: Bronze $500, Silver $750, Gold $1,000. Requires a state representative to verify status.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Tied to the Congressional Award program, which any teen can start at 13 and which very few families know exists.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Entering freshmen holding a Congressional Award Bronze, Silver, or Gold Medal.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Veteran, Service-Member, Dependent and Spouse Non-Resident Tuition Waiver
📅 Deadline: Rolling; verify with the Center for America's Veterans
✓ Renews (4 yrs)
🎓 All UndergradWaives the full non-resident portion of tuition regardless of GPA or test scores. Applies at the Starkville, Meridian, and Gulf Coast campuses for freshmen and transfers.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Covers 100% of the non-resident portion of tuition, but cannot be stacked with the Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship. Families should price both paths and take whichever is larger.
💡
Strategic Detail
This is an either-or decision against the automatic non-resident scholarship, not an add-on. Run the numbers both ways.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Out-of-state veterans, active-duty service members, and their dependents, survivors, and spouses. The veteran must hold an Honorable Discharge; a General Discharge Under Honorable Conditions does not qualify.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
E.H. Sumners Foundation Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Sep 15
✓ Renews (2.5 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 2.5+ GPA🎓 All UndergradMust be a permanent resident of one of five Mississippi counties, carry a 2.5 GPA or higher, and enroll in at least 12 credit hours. The award amount varies year to year based on available funds.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Application goes to the foundation, not MSU, and it must be resubmitted every single year. Deadline is September 15, earlier than almost everything else on this page.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with permanent residence in Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Montgomery, or Webster counties in Mississippi who apply directly to the Sumners Foundation each year.
App Required
Dave C. Swalm Brookhaven Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Mar 1
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🏫 3.0+ GPA👥 ~25 winners/yrRestricted to graduates of Brookhaven High School or Brookhaven Academy (or MSMS students with permanent Brookhaven residence) enrolling in a qualifying technical major such as engineering, architecture, building construction science, computer science, cybersecurity, data science, physics, or veterinary medical technology. Financial need is a factor.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
💡
Strategic Detail
Worth $40,000 over four years. Geographically tiny but enormous if your family happens to live in Brookhaven.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Twenty entering freshmen from Brookhaven High School and five from Brookhaven Academy, plus Mississippi School for Math and Science students whose permanent residence is Brookhaven, pursuing a qualifying technical major.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Miss Mississippi Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Program-set
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🎓 All UndergradFirst through fourth alternates receive a $1,000 one-year award. The overall winner instead receives full tuition, capped at the regular 12-16 hour rate and renewable up to eight semesters. Placement must be verified by the Miss Mississippi Corporation.
✚
Stacking & Combining
For the overall winner, the full-tuition award is granted in lieu of the Freshman Academic Scholarship Package. Subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
💡
Strategic Detail
Open to entering freshmen, transfers, and current students, which is unusual for a niche award.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Mississippi residents who place as winner or first through fourth alternate in the Miss Mississippi program.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Mississippi Miss Hospitality Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Program-set
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
🎓 All UndergradFirst through fourth alternates receive a $1,000 one-year award. The overall winner instead receives full tuition, capped at the regular 12-16 hour rate and renewable up to eight semesters. Placement must be verified by the Mississippi Miss Hospitality program.
✚
Stacking & Combining
For the overall winner, the full-tuition award is granted in lieu of the Freshman Academic Scholarship Package. Subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
💡
Strategic Detail
A separate program from Miss Mississippi with its own competition track and its own money.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Mississippi residents who place as winner or first through fourth alternate in the Mississippi Miss Hospitality program.
Full TuitionApp Required
Miss Teen State Winner Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Not listed (see portal)
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
Full Tuition
tuition
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
📄
How to Apply
Application and state title verification; award covers tuition (12–16 hours); OOS may receive waiver.
💡
Strategic Detail
May cover tuition for up to 16 hours depending on classification; check portal for specifics.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Miss Teen USA/America state titleholders with verified documentation
App Required
John C. Stennis Scholarship (Political Science)
📅 Deadline: Not listed (dept/portal)
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
👥 ~1-2 per year winners/yr
📄
How to Apply
AcademicWorks application; must be incoming Political Science major and demonstrate leadership.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: 1–2 top MS seniors intending Political Science major with leadership evidence
App Required
JROTC Scholarship (Freshmen)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can be combined with other aid up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Freshman MS residents submit JROTC membership verification; application through portal.
💌 Letters of Rec
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Documented JROTC participants
App Required
4-H Academic Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~20 ACT✎ ~1030 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can stack with other merit and niche awards up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Submit documentation of active 4-H membership through portal application.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: MS 4-H participants with ACT or SAT and qualifying GPA
App Required
STAR Student Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Aug 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can stack with MSU merit and other aid up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
General Scholarship Application plus STAR Student application; MEC must verify award.
💌 Letters of Rec
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Mississippi high school STAR Students verified by MEC
App Required⚠ Junior Only
Haley Barbour Scholarship (Political Science)
📅 Deadline: Not listed (dept/portal)
✓ Renews
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 Junior
📄
How to Apply
AcademicWorks application; rising juniors majoring in Political Science with civic/political engagement.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Upper-division Political Science majors with relevant service and strong GPA
App Required⚠ Transfer Only
Phi Theta Kappa Officer Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Mar 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.3+ GPA🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be stacked with the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, but not with the Phi Theta Kappa Chapter President Scholarship.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the General Scholarship Application, then submit the Phi Theta Kappa Officer Scholarship Application in the scholarship portal and upload a letter on school letterhead from your Phi Theta Kappa advisor confirming you served as an officer.
💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
1,000 dollars for one year, paid out evenly across two semesters, for community college transfer students who served as an officer of their Phi Theta Kappa chapter. Requires 48 or more transferable hours and a 3.25 transferable GPA. It stacks with the regular Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship but cannot be combined with the Chapter President Scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Community college students who did not just join Phi Theta Kappa but ran for a chapter office. That is a small group at any given campus, which is exactly why the money is there. It is a one-year award rather than a renewable one, so treat it as a bonus on top of the main Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship rather than a plan of its own. Note the March 1 priority date is earlier than most transfer deadlines.
App Required
Eagle Scout Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Aug 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 2.5+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Application and upload of Eagle Scout certificate.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Recent Eagle Scouts with certificate verification
App Required
National Service Scholarship (ROTC)
📅 Deadline: Program-set
✓ Renews (2 yrs)
✎ ~20 ACT✎ ~1030 SAT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Award may not overlap with core ROTC scholarship funding.
📄
How to Apply
AFROTC/Army ROTC cadets apply through program; meet ACT/SAT/fitness/medical standards; not eligible if already receiving major ROTC scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: First- and second-year AFROTC/Army ROTC cadets in good standing, not on other ROTC scholarships
App Required
Distinguished Young Women (Local/State)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
📄
How to Apply
Application with DYW chair verification of local or state win.
💡
Strategic Detail
Local winners receive a $1,000 one-year award. The overall Mississippi state winner instead receives a full-tuition award renewable up to eight semesters, granted in lieu of the Freshman Academic Scholarship Package. Alternates do not qualify.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: DYW local and state winners verified by chair
App Required
Freshman Student Body President
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Application with counselor verification that student was high school-wide Student Body President.
💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
Does not include class officers
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Elected high school-wide Student Body Presidents with counselor verification
App Required
Promise Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
✓ Renews (4 yrs)
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~19 ACT👥 ~About 60 students selected per year winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Administered through the MSU Promise Student Support Program. MSU does not publish how this interacts with the automatic freshman academic packages, so confirm with financial aid before counting both.
📄
How to Apply
File the FAFSA and submit MSU's General Scholarship Application by the December 1 priority date. Be admitted as an entering freshman.
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Strategic Detail
2,500 dollars a year, 10,000 dollars over four years, for Mississippi students from families earning 42,000 dollars or less. Requires a 3.0 GPA, a 19 or better on the ACT, the FAFSA, and MSU's General Scholarship Application. About 60 students are selected each year through the MSU Promise Student Support Program, which also provides support beyond the money itself.
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Who Actually Wins
This is the most reachable serious award on MSU's list for working Mississippi families, and almost nobody knows it exists. A 19 ACT and a 3.0 GPA are genuinely modest bars. The real filter is the 42,000 dollar income ceiling and the fact that only about 60 students get in each year, so file the FAFSA the day it opens and get the General Scholarship Application in well before December 1. If your family is under that income line and your student clears 19 and 3.0, this is worth more attention than any long-shot merit award.
App Required
Valedictorian / Salutatorian
📅 Deadline: Aug 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can stack with MSU merit and other aid up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
General Scholarship Application plus Val/Sal application; counselor must verify rank.
💌 Letters of Rec
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Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Mississippi high school valedictorian or salutatorian seniors with counselor verification
App Required
MS Boys State / Girls State
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Submit application with verified participant certificate.
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Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Delegates to MS Boys State or Girls State with proper documentation
App Required
Anchor Club Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Application with service hours letter; $250 per year of Anchor Club service (max $1,000 for four years).
💌 Letters of Rec
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Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Verified multi-year Anchor Club members with sponsor and school official documentation
App Required
Key Club Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Application with sponsor verification; $250 per year of Key Club service (max $1,000 for four years).
💌 Letters of Rec
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Consistent multi-year Key Club participants with sponsor documentation
App Required
Boys Nation / Girls Nation
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacking allowed up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Application and documentation as state delegate/governor.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Official Boys Nation/Girls Nation delegates or governors with proof
App Required
Outstanding 4-H Member
📅 Deadline: Dec 1
Non-Renewable
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~20 ACT✎ ~1030 SAT
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Stacking & Combining
Can stack with other merit and niche awards up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Submit documentation of years in 4-H; application and sponsor verification required.
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Who Actually Wins
Most winners: MS county 4-H participants with ACT/SAT and qualifying GPA
* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Hidden Gems FAQ
Do these stack with my automatic MSU award?
Yes, that is the whole point of them. They stack with the academic package and with each other, up to cost of attendance. Two exceptions to know: the Eagle Scout and Gold Award scholarships cannot be combined with each other, and the full-tuition versions of the Miss Mississippi, Miss Hospitality, Miss Teen and Distinguished Young Women awards replace the automatic package rather than adding to it.
What is the earliest deadline on this page?
For Mississippi residents, September 15 for state aid at msfinancialaid.org. For MSU awards specifically, October 31 for the AICE and IB diploma scholarships. Then December 1 catches most of the rest, with a few (Eagle Scout, Gold Award, Valedictorian, Salutatorian, STAR Student) running to August 1.
Why do so many of these need a sponsor or counselor email?
MSU verifies participation directly with the person who ran the program. Practically, that means your student should ask their Key Club sponsor, 4-H representative, scoutmaster or school counselor for permission before listing them, and give them a heads up that an email is coming. A verification request that lands in an unread inbox can quietly cost you the award.
My student is out of state. Are any of these open to them?
Some are. Eagle Scout, Gold Award, Key Club, Anchor Club, Boys Nation and Girls Nation, Freshman Student Body President, Congressional Award Medal, AICE and IB are all open regardless of residency. The 4-H, Boys State and Girls State, Valedictorian, Salutatorian, STAR Student, Promise and Luckyday awards are Mississippi residents only.
How do departmental scholarships work at MSU?
Every college runs its own pool on top of everything above, and the MSU Foundation oversees close to two thousand privately funded scholarships. The General Scholarship Application feeds most of them, but it is worth visiting your student’s specific college page (Bagley Engineering, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture Art and Design, Business, Forest Resources and the rest) and asking the department directly what closes when.
What if my student is transferring in?
MSU has a separate transfer track with its own automatic ladder starting at a 3.25 transferable GPA, plus Phi Theta Kappa awards, the Presidential Partnership Scholarship for community college nominees, and a Transfer Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship worth up to $14,000 per year. The transfer priority date is March 1, not December 1.
Will an outside scholarship cost me MSU money?
It can, if the total pushes you past cost of attendance. This is the most common unpleasant surprise at MSU. Tell the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships about every outside award as soon as it is confirmed so they can adjust deliberately rather than clawing money back at billing.
Sources:
https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/scholarships
https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/scholarships/scholarship-details
The Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State
The Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College is a university-wide program that reports to the Provost and pulls students from all eight colleges. With more than 2,500 members, it is large by honors college standards, and it is structured to give a big SEC research university the feel of a small liberal arts college: discussion-based sections capped small, taught by senior faculty, plus priority registration, dedicated advising, honors housing in Griffis and Nunnelee halls, and hands-on help competing for national fellowships like the Goldwater and the Truman.
Two ways in, and one of them requires nothing but numbers
- Automatic invitation: any admitted freshman with a 30 superscored ACT and a 3.75 GPA gets an email invitation from the Honors College. No essay, no application. Just accept it.
- Holistic application: everyone else can apply, and MSU is unusually welcoming about it. There is no minimum ACT or SAT required to apply, and the process is test-optional and holistic. The application is an essay plus two teacher recommendation letters.
- Application opens: October 1, after you have been admitted to MSU
- Priority deadline: December 1. Later applications are still reviewed, running through May.
- To stay in: a 3.40 GPA and credit for at least one three-hour honors course per academic year
- Transfer path: Phi Theta Kappa members in good standing with a 3.75 college GPA are invited automatically. Several Mississippi community colleges also have direct articulation agreements for their own honors program graduates.
Honors Scholarships and Fellowships
Here is where MSU works differently from a lot of schools, and it is worth understanding before you compare offers. The Shackouls Honors College does not run its own separate scholarship ladder. There is no “honors award” that arrives because you joined. Instead, MSU’s biggest award, the Presidential Endowed Scholarship Package, is administered through the Honors College and its selection explicitly weighs fit with Shackouls. Presidential Scholars are honors students by definition.
So the honest framing is this: joining the Honors College does not by itself put money in your pocket, but it is the room where the largest award at Mississippi State is decided, and it unlocks one scholarship you cannot get any other way.
App Required
Stewart Bridgforth Honors Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Program-set; funds available after the first year at MSU
Non-Renewable
Open only to National Merit Finalists and Semi-Finalists who are active Shackouls Honors College members with a minimum overall 3.4 GPA.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks on top of the National Merit Finalist or Semi-Finalist package. Subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
💡
Strategic Detail
Usable for study abroad, internships, or faculty-sponsored undergraduate research.
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Who Actually Wins
Most winners: National Merit Finalists and Semi-Finalists who join the Shackouls Honors College, stay active, hold a 3.4+ overall GPA, and take part in the Stewart Bridgforth Honors Scholars Program.
* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
Deadline Note: December 1 does double duty. It is the priority deadline for the Honors College application and the deadline for the Presidential Endowed Scholarship application, and both run through the same portal after admission. A student who wants to be considered for Presidential should be treating early November as their real target.
Honors College — FAQs (Mississippi State University)
Is honors admission automatic?
Partly. A 30 superscored ACT with a 3.75 GPA earns an automatic invitation by email. Below that, students apply with an essay and two letters, and the review is holistic and test-optional.
Do I need a test score to get into the Honors College?
No. MSU is explicit that there is no minimum ACT or SAT required to apply. This matters because the in-state automatic merit grid does require a 21 ACT. A test-optional Mississippi student can be an honors student while receiving no automatic merit at all, which is a strange but real outcome families should know about.
Does joining the Honors College come with a scholarship?
Not on its own. The one honors-gated award is the $2,000 Stewart Bridgforth Honors Scholarship, and it is limited to National Merit Finalists and Semi-Finalists who are active Shackouls members with a 3.4 GPA. Everything else flows through the university-wide scholarship system.
Then why join?
Priority class registration alone is worth real money at a school this size, because it protects your four-year graduation timeline. Add small seminar sections, the honors living-learning community, structured undergraduate research placement, and mentoring for national fellowship applications. It also puts your student in the pool where Presidential Endowed is decided.
What does it take to graduate with honors distinction?
The Cursus Honorum: at least 27 honors credits with a 3.4 average in those courses, the first-year honors sequence, two interdisciplinary honors courses, and an honors capstone. Students aiming for the full Collegium Honorum designation should identify a faculty mentor and thesis topic by the start of junior year.
Can out-of-state students join?
Absolutely, and many do. Honors membership has no residency requirement and does not affect your non-resident tuition scholarship in either direction.
Are honors classes harder?
They are smaller and more discussion-driven rather than heavier. The trade is more reading and more talking in exchange for fewer classmates and better faculty access.
Sources:
https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/academics/shackouls-honors-college
https://www.honors.msstate.edu/scholarships
⭐ College Specialty
Mississippi State started in 1878 as an agricultural and mechanical college, and if you want to understand where the school is genuinely excellent today, that origin still explains most of it. MSU is a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant institution, and it holds the Carnegie R1 Very High Research Activity designation that fewer than five percent of American universities carry. The National Science Foundation has ranked it in the country’s top five percent for agriculture and natural resources for more than two decades.
Nationally Known Program:
Meteorology (Department of Geosciences) — This is the one that surprises people. One in three on-air broadcast meteorologists working in the United States is a Mississippi State graduate. MSU offers the nation’s only geosciences degree with a broadcast meteorology emphasis, and students train in a dedicated Climate Lab Studio with a chroma-key wall, professional production system and broadcast weather graphics, producing real forecasts. There is also a professional and operational track for students headed to the National Weather Service or the private sector.
- Agriculture and Life Sciences: the backbone of the university, spanning agronomy, animal science, agricultural engineering technology and food science. Roughly one in nine MSU undergraduates studies here. The campus dairy plant alone turns out hundreds of thousands of pounds of cheese and ice cream a year, which tells you how hands-on this gets.
- Bagley College of Engineering: about a fifth of the undergraduate student body, with real depth in aerospace, mechanical, chemical and computer engineering. MSU has had ten distinct supercomputers rank among the world’s most powerful since 1996, which is not something most public universities can say.
- Veterinary Medicine: MSU runs the only veterinary school in Mississippi and one of a small number accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Undergraduates can apply for early entry, and students work on projects as unusual as marine mammal rescue through a partnership on the Gulf Coast.
- Architecture, Art and Design: the only accredited Bachelor of Architecture program in the state. It is a five-year degree that ends with a full year of apprenticeship in a university-run practice based in Jackson, so graduates leave with a licensure-track credential and a year of real project work.
- Business and the Adkerson School of Accountancy: business is the most popular undergraduate area at MSU, with accountancy housed in its own named school and a clear pipeline into regional firms.
- Archaeology and the Cobb Institute: a genuinely uncommon undergraduate offering for a school this size, with field and lab experience most students would have to reach a much larger program to find.
- Also worth knowing: MSU is one of a small handful of universities that houses a presidential library, the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, which is a real research asset for history students.
The practical takeaway for a family: if your student is headed toward agriculture, engineering, weather, veterinary work, or architecture, Mississippi State is competing at a national level and the automatic merit grid makes it affordable while it does so. If your student wants a conservatory-style arts program or a large finance-to-Wall-Street pipeline, other schools will serve them better.
🔗 Official Mississippi State University Links
Use Mississippi State’s official university resources below to confirm admissions requirements,
scholarship policies, costs, and academic details. Always rely on these pages for final deadlines,
award terms, and eligibility rules.
Mississippi State blends big-school traditions with surprisingly generous scholarships. For strong students, the automatic merit and honors opportunities can make an SEC education more affordable than staying in-state.
If your family is weighing costs across multiple colleges, don’t stop here—compare what you’d actually pay using our main scholarship hub and your state’s own aid programs. The right mix of auto-merit, honors funding, and outside awards can make a huge difference.
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🔗 Official Mississippi State University Links
Every link below was checked and loading at the time of publication. Scholarship amounts, deadlines and tuition rates are set annually by MSU and the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board, so always confirm final terms on these pages before making a decision.
Mississippi residents: state aid (MTAG and MESG) is handled by the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, not by MSU. That is a separate application with a separate September 15 deadline. MSU links to it from its scholarship pages above.
✅ Wrapping It Up
Mississippi State is one of the few SEC schools where you can sit down at the kitchen table in October of senior year, look up your student’s GPA and test score on a published grid, and know almost exactly what college will cost. That predictability is the real product here, and it is worth a lot to a family trying to plan.
For out-of-state families, MSU may be the most forgiving option in the conference. A 3.30 GPA with no test score at all is worth $12,000 a year, and a 3.60 with a 31 ACT is worth $21,000. That closes most of the gap between the in-state and out-of-state price, and it rewards a solid four-year transcript rather than one good Saturday morning.
For Mississippi families, the picture is different but still strong, with one important warning: the in-state grid requires a test score. A resident who goes test-optional gets admitted and gets nothing automatic. Take the ACT. Take it more than once, since MSU superscores. And if your household income is under $42,000, look hard at the Promise Scholarship, because it is real money that goes unclaimed.
The three things to do right now, in order: protect the 9th through 11th grade GPA because it locks at the end of junior year, get a test score on file before February of senior year, and put December 1 on the calendar in red. Almost everything that matters at Mississippi State runs through that date.
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