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Ole Miss scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$31,154per year · 2025-2026 · ResidentNon-resident $51,314
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Ole Miss is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 8 published awards, and 5 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified May 2026
6 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. Academic Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)$1,000–$10,278/year based on ACT and GPA (see notes for full chart)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Academic Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)

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

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.0+
    SAT
    1130+
    ACT
    23+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Academic Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)

    Who qualifies

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

    How to keep it

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

    Worth knowing

    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.

  2. 1848 Award (Mississippi resident supplement)$2,000/year at 3.5 GPA + 23–28 ACT; $4,000/year at 3.5 GPA + 29+ ACTAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    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 termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.5+
    ACT
    23+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for 1848 Award (Mississippi resident supplement)

    Who qualifies

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

    How to keep it

    Renewable with the underlying Academic Merit Scholarship

    Worth knowing

    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.

  3. Academic Excellence National Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)Full tuition + standard cost of a double-occupancy campus residence hallNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Academic Excellence National Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)

    Full tuition + standard cost of a double-occupancy campus residence hall

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.0+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Academic Excellence National Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)

    Who qualifies

    Mississippi resident. National Merit Semifinalist or Finalist status. Does not stack with Academic Merit or the 1848 Award.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters

    Worth knowing

    Ole Miss's top automatic package for in-state NMFs. Stackable with the separate Barnard Scholarship ($5,000/yr) and the $1,000/yr first-choice NMF award, so families who name Ole Miss with NMSC can meaningfully layer on top of the base full-tuition-plus-room foundation.

  4. Academic Merit Scholarship (non-residents)$3,000–$20,160/year based on GPA × ACT grid (see notes for full chart)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Academic Merit Scholarship (non-residents)

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

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.0+
    SAT
    1160+
    ACT
    24+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Academic Merit Scholarship (non-residents)

    Who qualifies

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

    How to keep it

    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.

    Worth knowing

    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.

  5. Academic Excellence National Merit Scholarship (non-residents)Full tuition + standard cost of double-occupancy campus residence hall + full non-resident feeNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Academic Excellence National Merit Scholarship (non-residents)

    Full tuition + standard cost of double-occupancy campus residence hall + full non-resident fee

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.0+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Academic Excellence National Merit Scholarship (non-residents)

    Who qualifies

    Non-resident. National Merit Semifinalist or Finalist status. Does not stack with the non-resident Academic Merit scholarship.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters

    Worth knowing

    The strongest non-resident NMF package Ole Miss offers. Combines full tuition, room, and non-resident fee coverage. Stackable with Barnard and the first-choice NMF award.

  6. Academic Success Non-Resident Scholarship$12,000 total ($3,000/year)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Academic Success Non-Resident Scholarship

    $12,000 total ($3,000/year)

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.75+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Academic Success Non-Resident Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Non-resident. Does NOT stack with the non-resident Academic Merit scholarship; families choose the higher of the two.

    How to keep it

    Renewable over 4 years

    Worth knowing

    Ole Miss publishes this as an alternate path for 3.75+ GPA non-residents. The non-resident Academic Merit scholarship is larger at the 3.75+ GPA level across all test bands, so this award is primarily a fallback when Academic Merit eligibility is unclear.

  7. STEM Major Non-Resident Scholarship$8,000 total ($2,000/year toward the non-resident fee)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    STEM Major Non-Resident Scholarship

    $8,000 total ($2,000/year toward the non-resident fee)

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.5+
    ACT
    28+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for STEM Major Non-Resident Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Non-resident. Must enroll in a qualifying STEM major. Applies toward the non-resident fee.

    How to keep it

    Renewable over 4 years

  8. National Merit Finalist First-Choice Scholarship$4,000 total ($1,000/year)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    National Merit Finalist First-Choice Scholarship

    $4,000 total ($1,000/year)

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Merit Finalist First-Choice Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    National Merit Finalist status AND list Ole Miss as first-choice college with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

    How to keep it

    Renewable over 4 years

    Worth knowing

    Supplemental award. Stacks on top of the Academic Excellence NMF package AND the Barnard Scholarship for a combined NMF total that lands in the same range as peer SEC NMF packages.

Lights up against Ole Miss's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office.

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The fine print

Cutoff cliffOne ACT point can move the award by +$2,500/yr (Academic Merit $500 + 1848 Award doubles $2,000 → $4,000)

Ole Miss publishes a tier ladder where crossing MS resident 3.5 GPA · 28 → 29 ACT changes the marginal value by +$2,500/yr (Academic Merit $500 + 1848 Award doubles $2,000 → $4,000). The 1848 Award doubles at 29 ACT. Most-overlooked single-point gain in the resident ladder.

The Lyceum at the University of Mississippi

The Lyceum at the University of Mississippi

What makes Ole Miss different

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.

Read our full reasoning

The cleanest cliff math in the SEC. Best for 3.75+ GPA non-residents and Mississippi residents who hit 29+ ACT.

Ole Miss publishes the most detailed merit chart of any SEC school, and it's also the most cliff-edged. Two thresholds dominate the math. For non-residents: at 32 ACT / 3.75 GPA, the Academic Merit scholarship hits $20,160/yr, which exactly equals the non-resident fee. Crossing that line effectively converts Ole Miss into in-state pricing for an OOS family. For Mississippi residents: the 1848 Award doubles from $2,000 to $4,000 the moment a 3.5+ GPA student crosses 29 ACT, a more valuable single-test-point gain than most peer schools offer at the entry level. Above 33 ACT, the resident scholarship is capped at year-one tuition, so chasing a higher score buys $0. The under-published trap is the January 10 Entering Freshman Scholarship Application deadline; that's when the door to the Women's Council, Stamps, and Provost competitive awards closes, separately from any admissions deadline.

Merit tiers85 based on grades or scores
Research checkedMay 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

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

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Ole Miss's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

Straight from the aid office

What Ole Miss's aid office says

Per the Office of Financial Aid, The University of Mississippi, August 2026. How we verify

GPA falls short

If a student's GPA drops below the requirement to keep a scholarship, is there an appeals process?

Yes — the office confirmed there is an appeals process for students whose GPA drops below the requirement for any award.

“We do have an appeals process for students whose GPA drops below the requirement for any award.”
How the appeal starts

How does a student find out how to file that appeal?

The office notifies affected students by email with instructions for filing an appeal — so watch the student email account after grades post.

“They will be notified via email about how to file an appeal.”

What families often miss

  1. Ole Miss's competitive scholarship programs (Women's Council, Stamps, Provost, and other named awards) are routed through the Entering Freshman Scholarship Application, which has a firm January 10 priority deadline. The FAFSA priority date is a separate gate at February 15. Because automatic merit is partially stat-based, families often assume there is no hard deadline for the overall scholarship review, but the competitive programs cut off at January 10 and miss the FAFSA-priority window at February 15. Both deadlines are independent of any admissions deadline.

  2. Ole Miss caps the resident Academic Merit at the year-one tuition value for every student with a 33+ ACT and a 3.0+ GPA. A 34 ACT applicant receives the same scholarship amount as a 33 ACT applicant at the same GPA: both get $10,278/year plus the $4,000/year 1848 Award for a combined $14,278. Families assume that stretching for a 34 or 35 ACT will push the scholarship higher and it does not.

  3. The non-resident Academic Merit scholarship is fee-specific: the award is locked to the year-one non-resident fee and does NOT increase in subsequent years when tuition or the non-resident fee goes up. Families who budget against the expectation that the scholarship will track tuition increases end up short in year three or four. Plan the budget around the freshman-year number, not a projected average.

See award cutoffs and special programs

What your stats actually unlock at Ole Miss

Verified against the published 2025-2026 resident and 2026-2027 non-resident merit charts. Use this to map test-prep effort to real dollar gains and to spot the cap thresholds.

Student profileLikely outcome
MS resident · 3.0 GPA · 23 ACTAcademic Merit — $1,000/yrEntry tier of the resident ladder.
MS resident · 3.5 GPA · 28 ACTAcademic Merit $3,000 + 1848 Award $2,000 = $5,000/yr
MS resident · 3.5 GPA · 29 ACTAcademic Merit $3,500 + 1848 Award $4,000 = $7,500/yr1848 Award doubles at 29 ACT — the highest-leverage single-point ACT gain in the resident ladder.
MS resident · 3.5 GPA · 33+ ACTAcademic Merit $10,278 + 1848 Award $4,000 = $14,278/yr (capped)Resident Academic Merit caps at year-one tuition value at 33 ACT. A 34 or 35 ACT earns the same dollars.
OOS · 3.0 GPA · 30 ACTAcademic Merit (non-resident) — $5,000/yr
OOS · 3.5 GPA · 30 ACTAcademic Merit (non-resident) — $7,000/yr
OOS · 3.75 GPA · 32 ACTAcademic Merit (non-resident) — $20,160/yrThis award equals the full 2026-27 non-resident fee. At this stat band, Ole Miss is effectively in-state-priced for an OOS student.
MS resident · NMF · 3.0 GPAAcademic Excellence (full tuition + room) + Barnard $5,000 + first-choice NMF $1,000
OOS · NMF · 3.0 GPAAcademic Excellence (full tuition + room + non-resident fee) + Barnard $5,000 + first-choice NMF $1,000The strongest non-resident NMF package Ole Miss publishes.

Cliff math: what each threshold is actually worth

Marginal value of crossing each ACT, GPA, and deadline line. Calculated against the published 2025-2026 resident chart and 2026-2027 non-resident chart.

ThresholdMarginal value
MS resident 3.5 GPA · 28 → 29 ACT+$2,500/yr (Academic Merit $500 + 1848 Award doubles $2,000 → $4,000)The 1848 Award doubles at 29 ACT. Most-overlooked single-point gain in the resident ladder.
MS resident 3.5 GPA · 31 → 32 ACT+$2,000/yr (Academic Merit $5,500 → $7,500)
MS resident 3.5 GPA · 32 → 33 ACT+$2,490/yr (hits year-one tuition cap)
MS resident · 33 → 34+ ACT$0Resident Academic Merit is capped at the 33 ACT line. Higher scores buy nothing in resident merit; optimize the 1848 stack and major-specific scholarships instead.
OOS 3.75 GPA · 31 → 32 ACT+$2,160/yr — and the total now equals the full non-resident fee.The 32 ACT line at 3.75+ GPA is the headline OOS threshold. Crossing it removes the entire out-of-state premium.
OOS 3.5 GPA → 3.75 GPA at 32 ACT+$5,160/yr ($15,000 → $20,160)GPA matters more than ACT once you're past the 32 line.
Miss the January 10 Entering Freshman Scholarship ApplicationLoss of access to Stamps, Provost, Women's Council ($10,000+/yr potential).Independent of any admissions deadline. Closes the door to every competitive named award routed through the EFSA portal.
Non-resident Academic Merit — fee-specific lock$0 growth as tuition risesAward locks to the year-one non-resident fee. If tuition rises in years 2-4, the scholarship does not. Plan the 4-year budget against the freshman number, not a projected average.

Ole Miss 1848 Scholarship

The 1848 Award is the most distinctive named scholarship at Ole Miss and the highest-leverage stack-on for Mississippi residents. Eligibility: Mississippi resident, 3.5+ GPA, 23+ ACT, i.e. the same floor as Academic Merit, plus the 3.5 GPA gate. Amount: $2,000/yr at 23-28 ACT, $4,000/yr at 29+ ACT. Stacks on top of Academic Merit (does not replace it). At the resident cap (33+ ACT, 3.5 GPA) the combined Academic Merit + 1848 total reaches $14,278/yr. The 29 ACT threshold is the single most overlooked optimization: the 1848 doubles at exactly 29 ACT, which is more valuable than another full GPA point for 3.5-3.74 students. Renews with the underlying Academic Merit Scholarship for up to 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters.

Source

Ole Miss Academic Excellence (National Merit) Scholarship

Ole Miss's top published package for National Merit Finalists, available to both residents and non-residents. Resident NMFs receive full tuition plus the standard cost of a double-occupancy campus residence hall. Non-resident NMFs receive full tuition + room + the full non-resident fee, the strongest published non-resident NMF package at Ole Miss. Stacks with the separate $5,000/yr Barnard Scholarship and the $1,000/yr first-choice NMF award (which requires listing Ole Miss as the #1-choice college with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation). Does NOT stack with Academic Merit or the 1848 Award; Academic Excellence replaces them.

Source

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Ole Miss is the budget-conscious SEC option. Out-of-state families looking for a southern flagship at a lower rack rate than Alabama or Auburn benefit from the fee-specific non-resident scholarship ladder, which can eliminate the out-of-state premium for top-stats students. Mississippi residents with a 3.0+ GPA and a 23+ ACT get automatic merit layered with the 1848 Award stackable supplement at 3.5 GPA, and low-income Mississippi residents can qualify for the Ole Miss Opportunity tuition-plus-room-plus-meals guarantee. National Merit Finalists receive a full-tuition-plus-room package that stacks with the separate Barnard and first-choice NMF awards.

Cost of attendance$31,154–$51,314 for 2025-2026Each bar is the full published cost for that scenario, sized against the highest figure so totals compare at a glance.
Out-of-state, on-campus$51,314
In-state, on-campus$31,154
  • Tuition & fees
  • Housing & food
  • Books
  • Travel
  • Personal

Official Office of Financial Aid COA, full-time undergraduate living on-campus. Nonresident adds the $20,160 additional nonresident fee to tuition. Tuition & fees = tuition $9,990 + capital improvements $100 + student activity $60 (resident); nonresident tuition & fees = $30,310.

Ole Miss cost-of-attendance source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Ole Miss, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Ole Miss, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$8,945
$30,001–$48,000$9,217
$48,001–$75,000$14,794
$75,001–$110,000$18,573
$110,001+$21,313
All income levels (average)$13,314

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$9,772
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$28,600
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$13,314

That works out to roughly a 54% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $28,660 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Ole Miss is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
72%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
87%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$20,000 (~$212/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$50,994
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
20%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
33%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

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

Ole Miss's published language states: "If you receive a private scholarship award, this may impact your financial aid award since the combination of all financial aid and scholarships cannot exceed your cost of attendance. If needed, the loans that are offered to you will be reduced first, then other aid." For most families with room between their institutional package and COA, outside scholarships add dollar-for-dollar until loans are exhausted. Families should notify Ole Miss Financial Aid of outside awards early to prevent over-award adjustments.

Source

Other Ole Miss scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

Amount$20,942/year for 2025-2026 (covers tuition, meals, and UM-Managed housing)EligibilityMississippi resident, family income ≤ $40,000, Student Aid Index ≤ 6,655, 3.0 GPA, Pell-eligible. Must submit a FAFSA by March 1 prior to the fall semester for automatic consideration.

Ole Miss's low-income guarantee for in-state students. Includes a separate $500 book allowance on top of the $20,942 base. One of the most generous published low-income packages at any SEC flagship.

Source

Amount$20,000 total ($5,000/year)EligibilityNational Merit Finalist status. Open to both residents and non-residents.

Stacks on top of the Academic Excellence NMF package and the $1,000/yr first-choice NMF award. NMFs who name Ole Miss pick up a meaningful upgrade beyond the base full-tuition-plus-room foundation.

Source

Amount$32,000 total ($8,000/year toward the non-resident fee)EligibilityNon-residents whose parent received an Ole Miss degree. Minimum 2.5 GPA. First-time freshmen entering Fall 2026.

A targeted legacy award that can stack with other non-resident awards depending on structure. Families with an Ole Miss alumni parent should always check eligibility; the legacy path is often the difference between a viable out-of-state budget and a prohibitive one.

Source

Amount$40,000 total ($10,000/year) over 4 years plus mentoring and professional development programmingEligibilityHighly competitive selection process via the Entering Freshman Scholarship Application by January 10. Specific number selected per year is not published; the program reports 39 current scholars and 196 total scholars across all cohorts. FAFSA priority date is February 15.

One of the most competitive awards at Ole Miss. Treat it like a separate application process beyond the automatic tier. Mentoring component includes weekly meetings with two staff mentors plus peer/career/life mentors, a series of leadership symposiums, and a philanthropic volunteer initiative.

Source

Ole Miss merit aid FAQ

  • What's the floor to be considered for Ole Miss automatic merit?

    Mississippi residents need a minimum 3.0 high school GPA and a 23 ACT (or 1130 SAT equivalent). Non-residents need the same 3.0 minimum plus a qualifying test score and GPA combination that maps onto the published non-resident chart. Students below the ACT floor or the 3.0 GPA floor can still be admitted to Ole Miss but are not eligible for the automatic Academic Merit ladder.

  • Will an outside scholarship reduce my Ole Miss aid?

    Only if the total aid package exceeds your cost of attendance. Ole Miss applies outside scholarships against loans first, then other aid, which means most families can stack outside awards on top of institutional merit without losing institutional dollars, as long as total aid stays under COA.

  • Are Ole Miss merit scholarships renewable for four years?

    Yes. Academic Merit, the 1848 Award, the Academic Excellence NMF packages, and the other named scholarships renew for up to 8 consecutive fall and spring semesters, conditional on the published renewal terms (typically a cumulative GPA floor and full-time enrollment). Wintersession and summer enrollment do not count toward the 8-semester limit.

  • Does the resident Academic Merit scholarship keep climbing past a 33 ACT?

    No. Ole Miss caps the resident Academic Merit at the year-one tuition value for every student scoring 33 or higher on the ACT with a 3.0+ GPA. A 34 ACT does not earn a larger scholarship than a 33 ACT at the same GPA. Families targeting the top tier should optimize the 1848 Award stack and the ACT 29 breakpoint (where the 1848 jumps from $2,000 to $4,000) rather than chasing a higher top ACT.

  • How does the non-resident Academic Merit interact with the Academic Success Non-Resident scholarship?

    They do not stack; families choose the higher award. At the 3.75+ GPA level, the non-resident Academic Merit scholarship is always larger across every test band, so Academic Success Non-Resident primarily functions as a fallback for 3.75+ GPA non-residents whose test scores do not clearly place them in the Academic Merit chart.

See sources and other schools

How Ole Miss compares

  • 145 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.

    Ole Miss is in a recognizable cluster (145 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Ole Miss is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

  • 63 of 749 verified schools publish a marginal-value cliff table we can quantify.

    Ole Miss is one of them. Most schools won't tell families what one ACT point is actually worth. At the schools that do, a strategic retake is sometimes mathematically more valuable than test-optional positioning.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Ole Miss’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

How Ole Miss compares

Ole Miss usually shows up in the same shopping process as four SEC peers, plus one Plains-state alternative for National Merit families:

  • Mississippi State merit aid. Mississippi State pays better for in-state National Merit, Ole Miss pays better for out-of-state high-stat applicants who need the non-resident fee eliminated.
  • How Alabama's automatic ladder compares. Alabama's Presidential Elite is a bigger top-end number, but Ole Miss's 1848 Award stacks more cleanly with the base Academic Merit and pays out earlier in the eligibility curve.
  • Auburn for SEC families. Auburn's Spirit of Auburn lands at similar dollar values, but Auburn requires the December 1 priority deadline; Ole Miss is friendlier for late-deciding families.
  • LSU TOPS for Louisiana residents. TOPS only pays meaningful dollars to in-state Louisiana students; out-of-state families get more from Ole Miss.
  • Kentucky Singletary scholarship. Kentucky's Singletary requires a separate competitive application; Ole Miss's automatic ladder is the easier path for families who want predictable numbers.
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