Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid

Is Financial Aid available?
Yes! Students accepted on a USM study abroad program may apply for financial aid, including grants, loans and scholarships. Faculty/staff/dependent tuition waivers and graduate assistantships may also apply. Students are advised to begin the financial aid process well in advance of program deadlines. Any form of financial aid will depend on circumstances that the student or parent may have. Also, before applying for financial aid, students must have completed the FAFSA, available on the Southern Miss Office of Financial Aid website.

What types of loans are available?

• Parent PLUS loans are borrowed on behalf of the student by their parent.
• Unsubsidized loans are available for any student that wishes to borrow regardless of family contribution. The amount that you may borrow depends on your classification at the time you attend the program.
• Subsidized loans are awarded to those students with a lower family contribution or other financial circumstances.
• Pell grants are available for qualifying students.
• Alternative loans or "outside loans" are available for all students. These are signature loans through certain lending institutions. They are handled in the same way as an unsubsidized loan. Because these are signature loans, a student that does not have enough income or credit may need a co-signer. This can be anyone that has an appropriate credit rating. The Southern Miss Financial Aid office will have a budget for each credit-abroad program. This budget will include the cost of the program and an estimate for spending money. You may borrow up to the total budget for each program in any combination of aid.

Non-Southern Miss/consortium school students should apply for financial aid through the school in which they are currently enrolled and seeking a degree. Financial aid agreements between Southern Miss and other schools are available if requested. If more information is needed, contact the Southern Miss Office of Study Abroad at 601.266.4344 (fax 601.266.5699).

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Scholarships

Are there scholarships available? 
Yes! Most OSA scholarships are available for Southern Miss students. Please visit the Foundation's new GO system and complete your application for fall, spring, or summer.

Foreign Language majors at Southern Miss may refer to the Foreign Languages website for scholarship opportunities.

Below are a few additional resources:

• Study Abroad Funding - a directory featuring detailed descriptions of hundreds of study abroad scholarships, fellowships, grants, and paid internships for U.S. undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students, and professionals.
• The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is open to all U.S. citizen undergraduates, in good academic standing, who meet certain criteria. If you currently qualify for a Pell Grant, you are eligible to apply for the Gilman Scholarship. 
• www.usm.edu/national-scholarships
• All Abroad Suggestions - offering suggestions for "general" study abroad, "diversity" study abroad and nontraditional country destinations.
• Fund for Education Abroad 
• Phi Kappa Phi 

Want assitance with your Nationally Competitive Scholarship applications? Complete this form with the Office of Undergraduate Scholarships and Carlee Causey, Project Director for Nationally Competitive Programs, will be in touch to schedule an appointment. 

For more information, see NAFSA's Financial Aid for Study Abroad: An Undergraduate Student's Resource.