University of Southern Mississippi USA Freshman Scholarships

Freshman Scholarships are available to high school seniors who are fully admitted to The University of Southern Mississippi for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Wellness oversees the scholarship process. Scholarship applications close as early as an indicated date on the page, so students are directed to complete the FAFSA and apply for available scholarship opportunities for the upcoming year.

These scholarships are for students who meet the page’s criteria for first-year, full-time incoming freshmen. Students classified as readmitted by the Office of Admissions are not eligible. Students classified as freshman by the criteria above do not qualify for transfer scholarships, and freshman scholarships cannot be stacked with transfer scholarships. The page lists freshman scholarship categories including Academic Excellence Scholarships, Designation-based Scholarships, Competitive Programs Scholarships, National Merit Scholarships, and Kelly Gene Cook Scholarships.

To be considered through the freshman scholarship process, a completed admission file is described as including an application for admission, the application fee, high school transcript, and ACT or SAT scores. A current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for most undergraduate scholarships. For Freshman Academic Scholarships, Designation-Based Scholarships, and Competitive Scholarships, only standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) earned through the student’s senior year and before the scholarship deadline are considered.

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Wellness explains that it does not calculate student GPAs; it uses the cumulative GPA from the Office of Admissions as listed on the student’s official transcript at the time of admission for Academic Excellence Scholarship consideration and awarding purposes. The page also addresses stacking: most freshman scholarships will stack up to cost of attendance, but two scholarships for the same designation (example given: two tuition or housing scholarships) are not allowed.

• First-year, full-time incoming freshmen only
• Fully admitted to The University of Southern Mississippi for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation
• Not eligible if classified as readmitted by the Office of Admissions
• High school seniors
• Students classified as freshman by the page’s criteria do not qualify for transfer scholarships
• Freshman scholarships cannot be stacked with transfer scholarships
• A completed admission file is described as including an application for admission, the $45 application fee, high school transcript, and ACT or SAT scores
• A current FAFSA is required for most undergraduate scholarships
• For Freshman Academic Scholarships, Designation-Based Scholarships, and Competitive Scholarships: only ACT or SAT scores earned through the student’s senior year and before the appropriate scholarship deadline are considered
• For students exclusively submitting SAT scores: combined scores of Critical Reading and Quantitative are used as the standardized test scores of record

1. A complete admission file is required, including an application for admission, the $45 application fee, your high school transcript, and ACT or SAT scores.
2. Submit a current FAFSA, required for most undergraduate scholarships.
3. Use the standardized test scores guidance for Freshman Academic Scholarships, Designation-Based Scholarships, and Competitive Scholarships (ACT or SAT earned through the senior year and before the scholarship deadline).
4. Follow the GPA and stacking rules described by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Wellness, including the use of cumulative GPA from the Office of Admissions and restrictions on stacking for the same designation.

• Application for admission
• $45 application fee
• High school transcript
• ACT or SAT scores
• Current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (required for most undergraduate scholarships)