State Aid
Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG)
Created by the Mississippi legislature, this program is designed to provide financial aid assistance to Mississippi residents attending state-approved public and nonprofit two-year and four-year eligible colleges and universities. The primary objective of the MTAG is to provide educational opportunities for students who wish to pursue postsecondary education in the state.
Application Dates: January 1 – September 15
Supporting Documents Deadline: October 15
Eligibility Requirements for Entering Freshman:
- Be a legal resident of the state of Mississippi for one year prior to application
- Have a high school cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale or GED certificate (submit copy of GED test scores and GED certificate) or completion of home school program (submit signed transcript of 9th through 12th grades)
- Have scored a minimum of a 15 on the national ACT
- Be accepted and enrolled in 15 semester hours at an approved postsecondary institution in Mississippi
- Receive less than the full federal Pell Grant as determined by the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid uses the latest version of the results of the FAFSA process to determine an applicant’s Pell Grant eligibility.
- Must be pursuing first certificate, first associate or first bachelor’s degree
Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant (MESG)
Created by the Mississippi legislature, this program is designed to provide financial aid assistance to Mississippi residents attending state-approved public and nonprofit two-year and four-year eligible colleges and universities. The primary objective of the MESG is to provide educational opportunities for students who wish to pursue post-secondary education in the state.
Application Dates: January 1 – September 15
Supporting Documents Deadline: October 15
Eligibility Requirements for Entering Freshmen:
- Be a legal resident of the state of Mississippi for one year prior to high school or Home School completion
- Have a high school cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale (home school applicants must provide official transcript of 9th through 12th grades.)
- Have scored a minimum of a 29 on the national ACT or minimum score of 1290 on the SAT or National Merit or National Achievement Finalist or Semi-Finalist
- Be accepted and enrolled in 15 semester hours at an approved postsecondary institution in MS
- Must be pursuing first certificate, first associate or first bachelor’s degree
Higher Education Leglislative Plan for Needy Students (HELP)
Created by the Mississippi legislature, this program is designed to provide tuition assistance to qualified students whose financial need, as demonstrated by federal student aid eligibility, will not be met with gift aid from other sources. The program provides full tuition to qualified students for up to four years.
Deadline for applying is March 31 of each year
Supporting Documents (including certified HELP Core Curriculum): April 30
Initial Eligibility Requirements for the Graduating High School Senior:
- Be a legal resident of the state of Mississippi
- Have a high school cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale
- Have scored a minimum of a 20 on the national ACT
- Have completed a specific high school core curriculum.
- Applicant’s family must have an annual adjusted gross income of $39,500.00 or less for a family with only one dependent child under the age of twenty-one (21) or an annual adjusted gross income of $39,500.00 or less plus $5,000.00 for each additional dependent child under the age of 21.
- Must be enrolled in 15 semester hours toward a degree
Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers & Firemen Scholarship (LAW)
The Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers and Fireman Scholarship Program offers financial assistance to dependent children and spouses of any Mississippi law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter, or volunteer firefighter who has suffered fatal injuries or wounds or has become permanently and totally disabled as a result of injuries or wounds that occurred in the performance of the official and appointed duties of his or her office. This financial assistance is offered as an eight semester tuition and room scholarship at any state-supported college or university in Mississippi. You must be enrolled in 15 semester hours to receive the grant.
Online application: January 1 – September 15
You are eligible if all the following apply:
- You are a current legal resident of Mississippi.
- You are admitted as a full-time student at any one state-supported college or university.
- You are certified as a dependent child or spouse of any Mississippi law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter, or volunteer firefighter who has suffered fatal injuries or wounds which occurred in the performance of the official and appointed duties of his or her office or certified as the dependent child or spouse of any Mississippi law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter who has become permanently and totally disabled as a result of injuries or wounds that occurred in the performance of the official and appointed duties of his or her office.
Federal Grants
Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid provided the student completes 60 percent of the semester. Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. (A professional degree would include a degree in a field such as medicine, law, or dentistry.) For many students, Pell Grants provide a foundation of financial aid to which other aid may be added. To determine if you are financially eligible for the Pell Grant, the U.S Department of Education uses a standard formula, established by Congress, to evaluate the information the student provides on the FAFSA. The formula produces a student aid index number (SAI). Your Student Aid Report (SAR) contains this number and will tell you if you are eligible
The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $7,395 for the 2024–25 award year (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025). You can receive only one Pell Grant in an award year. The amount you get will depend on your Student Aid Index (SAI), the cost of attendance, your status as a full-time or part-time student, and your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. You may NOT receive Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time. These funds are divided between fall and spring semesters and are credited to the student’s account. Any remaining Pell Grant balance (after fees are paid) is issued to the student according to the disbursement method selected with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution powered by BMTX, Inc. Refunds are paid once per semester and are not issued until after the eighth week of school. To receive federal funds, you must meet all admission requirements and you must have a high school diploma or GED. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for a Federal Pell Grant.
Federal Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
The FSEOG grant is money available to undergraduate students who meet eligibility criteria. Eligibility is determined using the results of the FAFSA. The College determines demonstrated need as the amount actually owed to the College less any financial aid received. If students still have a balance due to the College after this, they are considered for the FSEOG program on a first come first served basis according to the date their financial aid application is complete. This award can be between $100 and $4,000 per award year depending on the funding levels of the College. However, more realistic awards for Copiah-Lincoln are between $100 and $2,000 per award year. Priority is given to students who receive Federal Pell Grants. This money does not have to be paid back, as long as the student remains enrolled more than 60 percent of that semester.
