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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Ole Miss
Decision sheet

Mississippi · Research checked 2026-05-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Public SEC flagship with one of the most detailed published merit ladders of any southern flagship. Mississippi residents earn automatic Academic Merit at a 23 ACT and can stack the 1848 Award on top at a 3.5 GPA. Non-residents get a fee-specific scholarship ladder that can wipe out the full non-resident fee at a 32 ACT and a 3.75 GPA.

More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

Awards to discuss

First 3 of 8 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

Academic Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)

$1,000–$10,278/year based on ACT and GPA (see notes for full chart) · Published range

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.0+ · SAT: 1130+ · ACT: 23+

Eligibility: Mississippi resident. ACT excludes writing. SAT is Critical Reading + Math only. Superscores accepted within the same test type.

Renewal: Renewable for up to 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters per Ole Miss's published terms

Other terms: Full 2025-2026 resident chart: 23 ACT / 1130–1150 SAT = $1,000/yr; 24 ACT / 1160–1190 SAT = $1,500; 25 ACT / 1200–1220 SAT = $1,500; 26 ACT / 1230–1250 SAT = $1,900; 27 ACT / 1260–1290 SAT = $2,250; 28 ACT / 1300–1320 SAT = $3,000; 29 ACT / 1330–1350 SAT = $3,500; 30 ACT / 1360–1380 SAT = $4,500; 31 ACT / 1390–1410 SAT = $5,500; 32 ACT / 1420–1440 SAT = $7,500; 33+ ACT / 1450+ SAT = $10,278. At the 33+ ACT level the stipend is set to the value of tuition in Year One and capped at that amount for all undergraduates (including Pharmacy) for the life of the scholarship.

https://olemiss.edu/finaid/types-of-aid/scholarships/mississippi-residents/entering-freshman/awards-automatic-consideration/

1848 Award (Mississippi resident supplement)

$2,000/year at 3.5 GPA + 23–28 ACT; $4,000/year at 3.5 GPA + 29+ ACT · Published award terms

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.5+ · ACT: 23+

Eligibility: Mississippi resident. Stacks on top of the Academic Merit Scholarship.

Renewal: Renewable with the underlying Academic Merit Scholarship

Other terms: Designed to push the total resident award upward for 3.5+ GPA students. Combined with Academic Merit, top-band residents (33+ ACT, 3.5 GPA) hit $14,278/yr in total automatic aid.

https://olemiss.edu/finaid/types-of-aid/scholarships/mississippi-residents/entering-freshman/awards-automatic-consideration/

Academic Merit Scholarship (non-residents)

$3,000–$20,160/year based on GPA × ACT grid (see notes for full chart) · Published range

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.0+ · SAT: 1160+ · ACT: 24+

Eligibility: Non-resident. Does NOT stack with the Academic Success Non-Resident scholarship. 2026-2027 chart values published.

Renewal: Renewable for up to 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters. Fee-specific: scholarship amount is tied to the non-resident fee and does not automatically increase with tuition hikes beyond the year-one amount.

Other terms: Full 2026-2027 non-resident chart by HS GPA band. 3.0–3.49 GPA: $3,000 (no test) / $4,000 (24–25 ACT) / $5,000 (26–27) / $8,000 (28–29) / $10,000 (30–31) / $15,000 (32+). 3.5–3.74 GPA: $5,000 / $7,000 / $8,000 / $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,160. 3.75–4.0 GPA: $8,000 / $9,000 / $10,000 / $12,000 / $18,000 / $20,160. The $20,160 top value equals the 2026-27 non-resident fee, so a 3.75+ GPA / 32+ ACT applicant has the non-resident premium entirely covered by this single scholarship.

https://olemiss.edu/departments/enrollment-management/financial-aid/types-of-aid/scholarships/non-resident/entering-freshman/awards-automatic-consideration/nr-freshman-merit/index.php

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: Ole Miss uses loan-first displacement. Outside scholarships reduce loan awards before touching other aid, and total aid cannot exceed cost of attendance.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/ole-miss/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.