Mississippi Government College Scholarship and Grant Programs

Mississippi college students if you’re on the hunt for some worthwhile scholarship and grant money that you don’t have to work too hard to snag, check out what your state government dishes up. The Rise Up website is the State of Mississippi Higher Education portal through which you can find exactly the state funds that best fit your current educational and career goals.

General Academic and Need-Based Grants and Scholarships

  • The Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant is available to academically motivated high school students enrolling a two- or four-year college program at an approved state college or university. Applicants must maintain a 3.5 GPA and continue to work toward a “first” degree. Maximum annual awards are $2,500 and renewable for up to 4 years of school.
  • The Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant goes to students with financial need not wholly covered by Pell Grant money. Eligible candidates must be pursuing a degree in the state of Mississippi and have a GPA of 2.5. Annual awards are $500.
  • Nissan Scholarships – yes provided by the major car manufacturer with a massive plant presence in MS—go to eligible students enrolling in a two or four-year public college in MS. Criteria for qualifying includes GPA, academic merit, financial need, and essay. Scholarships vary with available funding.
  • The Higher Education Legislative Plan (HELP) scholarships go to Mississippi students with scant financial feasibility to pursue college. Candidates must have no other way to fund college. These are full-tuition scholarships.

Career-Specific Scholarships and Grants

Most state governments suffer from ongoing critical shortages in key industries. Priorities are given to teachers and nurses, but you’ll find on this list a few others included, as well:

  • Chiropractic and Podiatric students: the Graduate and Professional Degree Loan/Scholarship program from State of Mississippi may help you fund your costly college education. You can earn up to $7,000 each academic year you’re in school providing you work and practice within the state—one year for each year you received funding.
  • Gulf Coast Research Minority Summer Grant for Undergraduates is specially funded for financially needy and minority undergrads studying marine biology. This has historically been an underrepresented area of minority involvement and the Mississippi Gulf Coast is one of the major ecosystems in the state.

A long list of scholarships and loan forgiveness programs is offered for students interested in Nursing, Nursing Education, Teaching, and Special Education:

  • Critical Needs Teacher Loan/Scholarship
  • Family Protection Specialist Social Worker Loan/Scholarship
  • Health Care Professions Loan/Scholarship
  • Nursing Education Loan/Scholarships
  • William Winter Teacher Scholarship/Loan
  • William Winter Alternative Route Teacher Scholarship/Loan

All of these seek to offer valuable financial incentives in return for professional service within the state of Mississippi. Loans are forgiven or waived upon satisfying required service obligations.

Dependent Scholarships and Grants

The Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen Scholarship offers full-tuition and cost of attendance scholarships to dependents of police or firefighters killed or disabled while in the line of duty in Mississippi.

Visit the Mississippi Rise Up website for all these programs and applications.