Mississippi Scholarships and Grants
We Tracked Down the Choices for You
The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning administers state-funded scholarships and grants. Students may receive grant and scholarship monies if they are enrolled in one of the 32 "eligible" state public, private or professional colleges or universities.
General Scholarships and Grants
The Leveraging Educational Assistance Program provides undergraduate students with grant money to put toward a four-year college program within the state. Undergraduate students apply for consideration by filling out the FAFSA. Eligible students may renew if they maintain certain academic standards.
Mississippi Tuition Grants are available to Mississippi residents pursuing their first full-time, two or four-year degree at a state college or university. Students receiving a full Pell Grant are not eligible, but there must be significant financial need to warrant the grant. Students must be able to maintain a 2.5 GPA to remain a participant.
The Higher Education Legislative Plan is a program designed to provide additional monies to undergraduate students pursuing their first degree and show significant financial need. Household income may not exceed $36,000 per year and students with multiple siblings may qualify for more grant money. Qualified applicants must be Mississippi residents and maintain a GPA of at least 2.5. Apply by filling out the FAFSA.
The Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant is a merit-based program that rewards those students who achieve academic excellence. Qualified applicants must have a GPA of 3.5 along with top scores on ACT/SAT tests. Students must be enrolled in a full time undergraduate program at a MS state college or university. Grants may be as much as $2500 per academic year.
Another honors-level scholarship program is the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship. This federally funded program awards $1500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who have graduated at the top of their class, have earned top ACT/SAT scores and GPAs close to 4.0. Students with proven leadership qualities will also earn top nominations from school officials. Recipients of the Byrd Scholarships must already be accepted into a college or university anywhere in the United States. The scholarship may be renewed for another 3 years if students maintain academic standards.
Nissan Motors - which has a large auto plant in the state - sponsors a scholarship for Mississippi students pursuing a two-year or four-year degree at a state college or university. The aptly named Nissan Scholarship requires students be state residents and maintain a GPA of 2.5 as well as demonstrate interest in community service. Eligible students must also prove financial need for unmet college funding. Because this is a corporate funded program, award amounts may differ as well as number of scholarships awarded.
The Mississippi Law Enforcement and Firefighters Scholarship was established to provide full tuition assistance to those college age dependents of public safety officers and fire fighters killed or wounded in the line of duty. Qualified students must be MS residents and enrolled in a state college or university and be able to maintain at least average academic standards. The scholarship may provide up to the cost of tuition at a MS public institution.
Specialized Studies Programs
Calling all teachers, nurses and other in-demand professionals. Mississippi offers the following loan scholarships to those students who are willing to work in the state at medically underserved facilities or teach in schools where there is a lack of qualified teachers or teachers for certain subjects:
- The Critical Needs Teacher Program is designed to offer incentive to those juniors and seniors in teaching programs with the goal of retaining teachers in Mississippi. Students may qualify for significant tuition assistance that they may not be required to pay back in exchange for teaching commitments at MS public schools following graduation.
- The Graduate Teacher Loan Scholarship provides tuition to graduate-level teachers who already have teaching experience, but who wish to pursue advanced degrees. Recipients must agree to work in Mississippi's public school system for a specified amount of time following graduation.
- The Critical Needs Alternative Route Teacher Scholarship Program sums up the critical shortages of qualified public school teachers within underserved areas of the state. Not only are there poverty-stricken urban areas in need of teachers, but rural areas suffer as well. The program also trains teachers interested in teaching in "subject shortage areas," such as math and the sciences. Interested applicants may be residents of any state, but must be attending a MS college or university. Program participants must be willing to work in one of these problem areas in exchange for scholarships that may amount to full tuition.
- Similar to the above, the William Winter Critical Needs Alternative Route Teacher Scholarship and the William Winter Teacher Scholar program are designed for MS residents attending a state college or university in an undergraduate teaching program. The applicants must be in their junior or senior year to qualify. Total of award may be $4000 per year. Participants must be willing to exchange tuition scholarship for employment within the MS public school system following graduation. See more teaching scholarships.
- In an effort to also attract well-educated school administrators, the Counseling and School Administration Loan/Scholarship is aimed at those graduate-level teaching/education students who agree to work as administrators and teachers in exchange for tuition costs. Students are required to be state residents.
- It's not often that Doctoral level students are offered a scholarship, so the Southern Regional Educational Board Doctoral Scholars Program is noteworthy. Eligible students must be pursuing a Ph.D. in a science or math discipline and be willing to exchange tuition costs for teaching at the college level after completion of their degree. See more doctoral and graduate scholarships.
Students pursuing degrees in Nursing, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine and other health professions should consider the following loan repayment/scholarship programs available in Mississippi. In each case, qualified applicants must agree to exchange tuition costs for a period of employment in a medically underserved facility or region of the state following graduation:
- Nursing Education Loan Scholarship Program is designed to suit all types of nursing students from undergraduate to graduate level. See more nursing scholarships.
- State Dental Education Loan/Scholarship is available to those students enrolled in the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. Qualified applicants will be specializing in Family Dentistry.
- The Health Care Professions Scholarship is designed for students studying psychology or speech therapy at the undergraduate level and graduate students studying occupational or physical therapy. See more occupational therapy and physical therapy scholarships.
- Family Medical Education Loan/Scholarship offers incentive to medical students to study family medicine and practice within the state. See more medical scholarships.
- The Southern Regional Education Board Scholarship designed for students in optometry and osteopathic medicine programs.
- Graduate and Professional Degree Scholarship for podiatry or chiropractic students.
- State Medical Education Loan Scholarships may provide tuition for eligible medical students studying family medicine in a range of areas.
- Veterinary Medicine Minority Scholarship provides tuition costs to minority students enrolled in the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
All application and contact information can be found here at the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning.
