MeritPlaybook← All Colleges

Ole Miss · Mississippi

Ole Miss Merit Aid

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.

Verified Apr 2026Analyst pt
Merit tiers85 automatic on stats
Last verifiedApr 2026Analyst pt

Who this school is 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.

Institutional merit aid tiers

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

$1,000–$9,990/year based on ACT and GPA (see notes for full chart)

Academic Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)

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

RequirementsGPA 3.0+ · SAT 1130+ · ACT 23+ · Mississippi resident. ACT excludes writing. SAT is Critical Reading + Math only. Superscores accepted within the same test type.

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 = $9,990. 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.

Source

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

1848 Award (Mississippi resident supplement)

AutomaticRenewable with the underlying Academic Merit Scholarship

RequirementsGPA 3.5+ · ACT 23+ · Mississippi resident. Stacks on top of the Academic Merit Scholarship.

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 $13,990/yr in total automatic aid.

Source

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

Academic Excellence National Merit Scholarship (Mississippi residents)

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters

RequirementsGPA 3.0+ · Mississippi resident. National Merit Semifinalist or Finalist status. Does not stack with Academic Merit or the 1848 Award.

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.

Source

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

Academic Merit Scholarship (non-residents)

AutomaticRenewable 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.

RequirementsGPA 3.0+ · SAT 1160+ · ACT 24+ · Non-resident. Does NOT stack with the Academic Success Non-Resident scholarship. 2026-2027 chart values published.

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.

Source

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

Academic Excellence National Merit Scholarship (non-residents)

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters

RequirementsGPA 3.0+ · Non-resident. National Merit Semifinalist or Finalist status. Does not stack with the non-resident Academic Merit scholarship.

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.

Source

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

Academic Success Non-Resident Scholarship

AutomaticRenewable over 4 years

RequirementsGPA 3.75+ · Non-resident. Does NOT stack with the non-resident Academic Merit scholarship — families choose the higher of the two.

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.

Source

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

STEM Major Non-Resident Scholarship

AutomaticRenewable over 4 years

RequirementsGPA 3.5+ · ACT 28+ · Non-resident. Must enroll in a qualifying STEM major. Applies toward the non-resident fee.

Source

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

National Merit Finalist First-Choice Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable over 4 years

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

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.

Source

Outside scholarship 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.

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

Lesser-known scholarships at Ole Miss

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility 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 complete the FAFSA.

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 over 4 years plus mentoring and professional development programmingEligibilityApproximately 9 incoming freshmen selected annually. Highly competitive selection process.

One of the most competitive awards at Ole Miss. Families targeting this should treat it like a separate application process with essays and recommendations, not an automatic tier.

Source

Common mistakes at Ole Miss

  1. Ole Miss's competitive scholarship programs cut off consideration at the January 10 priority deadline. Because automatic merit is partially stat-based, families often assume there is no hard deadline for the overall scholarship review. For the competitive programs (Ole Miss First, Women's Council, Legacy reviews, Barnard where applicable), January 10 is a firm gate. Missing it locks the student out even when stats are well above the threshold.

  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 $9,990/year plus the $4,000/year 1848 Award for a combined $13,990. 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.

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.