Does Ole Miss superscore for scholarships?

Scholarship awarding typically uses the best single test date. Families should send all scores and apply early.

Can hidden gem awards stack with merit?

Yes—many of these awards (band, ROTC, departmental) stack on top of automatic merit, subject to COA limits.

What deadlines matter most?

January 10 for Special Programs/departmental awards; March 1 FAFSA priority for need-based programs like Ole Miss Opportunity.

Where do we apply for niche awards?

Use the Special Programs & Scholarship Application, plus any department-specific or ROTC portals. Engineering/accountancy awards may be automatic once admitted with criteria.

🎓 University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Scholarships

← Back to Public University Scholarships

What This Page Covers:

Tuition, housing, and what families actually pay on average
Automatic merit ranges and who typically qualifies
Competitive and hidden-gem scholarships worth a look
Honors perks and how to stack awards the smart way

Ole Miss offers generous merit and leadership scholarships for both state and non-residents. Here’s what parents really need to know—verified, realistic, and focused on saving your family thousands.

💰 Estimated Cost of Attendance (2025–2026)

Category	In-State	Out-of-State
Tuition & Fees	$9,990	$30,150
Housing	$7,612	$7,612
Food	$5,392	$5,392
Books & Supplies	$1,200	$1,200
Personal Expenses	$3,500	$3,500
Travel	$3,300	$3,300
Total Estimated COA	$31,154	$51,314

📉 Projected Net Price After Average Aid
National data platforms report:

Average Net Price (median student): ≈ $14,289/year

This reflects what many students pay after grants and scholarships—not sticker COA. About 44% of students receive financial aid, with average awards around $15,660 — bringing net price down significantly. Your actual costs will vary. Use Ole Miss’s Net Price Calculator for a personalized estimate.

🌍 Tuition Reciprocity & Waivers at Ole Miss

The University of Mississippi participates in the Academic Common Market (ACM), letting eligible students from SREB states pay in-state tuition for approved majors not offered in their home state (e.g., Forensic Chemistry, Southern Studies, Geological Engineering).
Ole Miss also awards generous automatic merit scholarships to strong out-of-state students, often covering most or all of the non-resident tuition charge.
Military and veteran families using GI Bill benefits qualify for an automatic waiver of all non-resident fees, bringing tuition to the in-state level.
Unlike some colleges, Ole Miss does not offer broad border-state discounts (e.g., for Arkansas or Alabama) outside of ACM or merit aid.

Savings Example: Out-of-state tuition is about $26,000 vs. $9,000 in-state — a difference of roughly $17,000 per year if you qualify for ACM, a full merit award, or a military waiver.

💡 Don’t Miss State Aid: Mississippi residents may also qualify for state-based grants like HELP or OMO scholarships, which combine with institutional awards to lower your out-of-pocket costs. Explore more here:
👉 Mississippi State Grants & Scholarships

✅ Automatic Merit Scholarships

These awards post automatically when your student qualifies — no separate application unless noted.

Scholarship	Award Amount	Eligibility	Separate App?	Renewable?	Who Actually Wins?
Full Tuition Award	Full tuition	ACT 33+; GPA 3.0+	❌	✅	Top test‑score admits
Merit Tier Award	$3,000–$6,000/yr	ACT 25–32; GPA 3.0+	❌	✅	Most strong admits
Base Merit (MS)	$1,000–$2,000/yr	ACT 23–24; GPA 3.0+; MS resident	❌	✅	Mississippi residents
Valedictorian / Salutatorian	$8,000 total	Class rank #1–2	❌	✅	Top seniors only
Eagle Scout / Gold Award	$6,000 total	BSA Eagle or GSUSA Gold	❌	✅	Verified recipients
Mississippi Star Student	$8,000 total	Star Student designation	❌	✅	DOE honorees
Student Body President	$6,000 total	HS SGA president	❌	✅	Verified leaders
Boys/Girls State Governor	$4,000 total	State Governor role	❌	✅	1 per program
Boys/Girls State Participant	$1,000 total	Program completion	❌	✅	All participants
STEM Major (NR)	$2,000/yr	OOS; STEM; GPA 3.5+; ACT 28+	❌	✅	OOS STEM admits
Academic Success (NR)	$3,000/yr	OOS; GPA 3.75+	❌	✅	OOS high GPA
J. Means (TN counties)	$5,000–$8,000	Resident of eligible TN counties	❌	✅	Regional admits
Red & Blue Scholarship	Based on FAFSA	FAFSA + GPA (+ ACT if submitted)	✅ (FAFSA)	Some	Need/merit mix

🎯 Clarifying the Range: Most automatic merit awards fall between $3,000–$6,000/year. Full‑tuition awards are reserved for the very top scores. Amounts and cutoffs can shift each year with funding and applicant volume.

🏆 Competitive Scholarships

These require a separate application and are awarded on leadership, essays, GPA, test scores, and/or need. Most close near Jan 10.

Scholarship	Award Amount	Eligibility (with Tests)	Eligibility (Test‑Optional)	Separate App?	Who Actually Wins?
Stamps Scholarship	Full Cost of Attendance + up to $12,000 enrichment	Top academics; ACT 33+ (or SAT ≈ 1490+); leadership & essays	Exceptional GPA/rigor; leadership & essays	✅	Flagship cohort; very small class
W.R. Newman / Carrier	$10,000/yr	ACT ~30+; strong GPA/rigor; leadership & essays	High GPA/rigor; leadership & essays	✅	Selective; small named‑scholar cohort
Ole Miss First Scholarship	$4,500/yr	Solid academics; essays; service/leadership	Strong GPA; essays; service/leadership	✅	Moderately competitive; mentoring focus
Luckyday Scholars	$2,000–$6,000/yr	GPA 3.0+; essays; leadership; FAFSA considered	GPA 3.0+; essays; leadership; FAFSA considered	✅	Cohort program; need‑aware selection
Lott Leadership	$3,000–$6,000/yr*	ACT ~28+; leadership/service; essay/interview	High GPA/rigor; leadership; essay/interview	✅	Institute cohort; selective
UM Women’s Council Scholarship	$8,000/yr	Strong academics; leadership/mentoring commitment	Strong GPA; leadership/mentoring commitment	✅	Small donor‑funded cohort

Notes: Awards above reflect typical or published amounts for recent cycles. *Lott amounts vary by year/donor funding; range shown where available. Flagship programs (Stamps; Newman/Carrier) select small cohorts each year.

💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships

Beyond automatic and competitive merit, Ole Miss offers a rich trove of “hidden gem” awards—tailored to majors, backgrounds, music, service, or study abroad. These smaller scholarships often stack with other aid and are worth digging into.

Scholarship / Program	Award Amount	Eligibility (plain English)	Separate App?	Renewable?	Who Actually Wins?
Luckyday Success Scholarship	$2,000–$6,000 per year	Mississippi residents with need; leadership & service favored	Yes	Yes, up to 4 years	Students with GPA ~3.0+ demonstrating perseverance and community focus
First-Generation Scholarship	$1,000–$2,000 per year	First in family to attend college; any major	Yes	Yes, typically 4 years	First-gen students with steady GPA (~2.5+) and academic drive
Ole Miss Band Scholarships	$1,000–$5,000 per year	Music performance in Pride of the South or ensembles; audition needed	Yes — audition	Yes, with continued participation	Talented musicians committed to rehearsals and performances
ROTC Scholarships (Army & Air Force)	Full tuition + stipend	Service commitment post-grad; GPA ~2.5+, ACT ~19+; fitness standards apply	Yes — via ROTC	Yes, up to 4 years	Cadets strong in academics and fitness who want leadership and service
Study Abroad Scholarships (Global Engagement)	$500–$2,000 per term	Accepted for study abroad programs; GPA ~3.0+	Yes	No — one-time	Students managing extra travel/study costs with academic readiness
College of Liberal Arts Scholarships	$500–$5,000 per year	Declared CLA major; incoming freshmen; need or achievement	Yes — via Special Programs App	Yes, many are renewable	CLA majors with GPA ~3.0+ and strong application materials
Named/Donor Endowments (e.g., Pharmacy, Law, Education)	$500–$5,000+ per year	Major or school-based; donor-funded; may require GPA/portfolio	Yes — department-based	Yes, renewable	Committed majors with solid GPA (≥3.0) and alignment with scholarship purpose

Hidden Gem Scholarships FAQs

How do I know which ones to apply for?
After admission, check the Special Programs & Scholarships App and academic departments early—these awards often have separate deadlines.

Are non-residents eligible?
Yes—band, ROTC, study abroad, and departmental awards are typically open to all students.

Do these stack with merit scholarships?
Absolutely. Many of these hidden gems stack on top of automatic merit to significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs.

How competitive are they vs. full scholarships?
Generally less intense—the focus is on demonstrated interest, financial need, or specific skills, rather than perfect scores.

⭐ What the University of Mississippi is Known For

If your student wants a big‑school experience with real academic standouts, Ole Miss hits a sweet spot. It’s an R1 research university (the highest Carnegie tier), which means more funded labs, faculty projects, and chances for undergrads to do real work — not just watch from the sidelines.

📌 Signature Strength — Patterson School of Accountancy: Consistently a Top‑10 accounting program nationally (currently #8 per Big4AccountingFirms.org) and #1 in the SEC. A flagship pathway with placement into Big 4 and major firms.

Pharmacy: Nationally ranked; positioned in the top ~20% of colleges of pharmacy in recent U.S. News cycles.
Croft Institute for International Studies: Highly selective honors‑style B.A. in International Studies (typical admits ~ACT 28+/GPA 3.5+); thesis + language + study abroad built‑in.
Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME): Distinctive, hands‑on program blending engineering, business, and accountancy with an on‑site manufacturing floor; frequently described as one‑of‑a‑kind nationally.
Journalism & New Media: Strong regional reputation; program ranks in the top decile nationally by some sector evaluators.

Scholarship tip: If your student is targeting these programs, check major‑specific and college awards inside the university portal after admission — they fill early and often stack with automatic merit.

🎓 Honors College Scholarships

The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College (SMBHC) offers smaller classes, deep mentorship, and priority access to competitive aid — but it requires a separate application.

📌 Admission Basics

Apply by January 10 via the Special Programs Application
Two essays + résumé + recommendations

📚 Typical Honors Profile

ACT 30–34+ (or SAT equivalent) and GPA ~3.9–4.0
AP/IB/dual credit rigor; leadership/service; strong writing

Scholarship	Award Amount	Eligibility (with Tests)	Eligibility (Test‑Optional)	Separate App?	Renewable?	Who Actually Wins?
Doris Raymond Honors Scholarship	$8,000/yr	ACT 30+; top GPA/rigor; admitted to SMBHC	Exceptional GPA/rigor; standout essays; admitted to SMBHC	✅	✅	Small Honors cohort; top incoming SMBHC students
Honors Research/Study Grants	$500–$2,000 (one‑time)	Admitted to SMBHC; approved thesis or faculty‑mentored project	Admitted to SMBHC; strong proposal & faculty support	✅	❌	Active SMBHC researchers / study‑abroad projects

Heads up: Honors students often receive priority consideration for flagship university awards like Stamps and W.R. Newman. Those appear in the Competitive section of this page.

📎 Official Links

At the end of the day, Ole Miss is one of those rare schools where families can see both a big-time college experience and serious scholarship opportunities. Automatic awards make it easy to budget, competitive programs open doors for top students, and the Honors College adds a layer of challenge (with funding to match). Whether you’re in-state or looking at Ole Miss from afar, the real takeaway is this: your student doesn’t have to chase every outside scholarship to make it affordable. If you plan ahead and apply early, the university itself can cover a surprising share of the bill.

Last updated: August 2025