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Office of Financial Aid
University of Mississippi

Ole Miss Opportunity Program

UM Opportunity Scholarship

The University of Mississippi is committed to providing access to quality education for students from all backgrounds. Through our Ole Miss Opportunity program, the University guarantees that eligible Mississippi resident students will receive financial aid support to cover the average cost of tuition, residence hall housing, and an allowance for meals. This program will fill the gap in funding after all federal, state, institutional, and private scholarships and grants awarded to the student have been considered.

Program Eligibility:
To be eligible for Ole Miss Opportunity (OMO), you must be a Mississippi resident, U.S. citizen or permanent resident, an entering freshman at the start of the Fall semester in which you first enroll, seeking a degree, and enrolled full-time at Ole Miss. In addition, you must meet the following criteria:

  • The family income listed on your FAFSA (from the federal tax return) must be at or below $40,000.
  • Qualification for a Federal Pell Grant, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • 3.0 high-school GPA by the time of awarding.

How to Apply:
The two applications listed below are required every year.

How Does the Program Work?

After Ole Miss Opportunity has considered all federal, state, institutional, and private scholarships and grants awarded to you, it will fill the gap in funding and cover:

  • Fall and spring semester base tuition rates for a full-time Mississippi resident student (up to 19 hours each term). The additional tuition charge for pharmacy majors is not included
  • Housing in a university residence hall. This allowance is typically up to the standard double-occupancy rate, but if a student opts to join FASTrack and signs up to live in the FASTrack Living-Learning Community, the additional expense will be paid by OMO.
  • Meals through the University, equivalent to the cost of the “Rebel All Access Plus 1” meal plan for fall and spring, plus $250 flex (food) funds each semester
  • Ole Miss Opportunity Scholars who are interested in pursuing degrees in either Science, Engineering, Technology, Mathematics, or Health Professions are encouraged to apply to the Grove Scholars program. Grove Scholars is a 4-year program that provides additional scholarship funds to OMO students and blends academic excellence with career exploration, research experience, and the promotion of personal growth and comradery among our Mississippi-resident students. Interested students can email the program’s Director at gray@olemiss.edu.

Each student will be responsible for paying book, transportation and personal expenses. There also may be charges for special fees (i.e., study abroad or extra course fees), summer classes or intersession terms. Because Ole Miss Opportunity does not provide funding for these remaining costs, students can meet them through savings, other family resources, a Federal Work-Study job, or loans. The Office of Financial Aid will be happy to assist students with identifying additional funding sources for these expenses.

The amount of the Ole Miss Opportunity award may be reduced if the student’s financial need changes and/or if the student receives subsequent, additional gift aid (scholarships and/or grants).

Renewal Requirements:
Ole Miss Opportunity funding will be provided for eight regular semesters of attendance at The University of Mississippi (or until completion of the first baccalaureate degree, whichever comes first) as long as these eligibility requirements continue to be met:

  1. Annual submission of the State of Mississippi Financial Aid Application.
  2. Annual renewal of the FAFSA by August 1 is required for automatic consideration.
  3. Students must continue to qualify for a Federal Pell Grant every year.
  4. Students must maintain a 2.0 resident GPA.
  5. Students must remain full time and continuously enrolled.

The level of funding is contingent upon the student living on campus.

Students must live in University-owned housing for their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years in order to get the full OMO benefits.

  • If students elect to move off-campus, the total amount of grants and scholarships they can receive from ALL sources will be capped at the amount of base tuition.
  • If students elect to live in University housing, they may receive the maximum grant/scholarship package. This number is updated annually for base tuition, housing, and meals. Since the housing rate in a traditional residence hall is accommodated in the OMO calculation, it will be the most affordable option. If OMO recipients choose more expensive housing, they must plan for the extra expense.

Additional Questions:
If you have any further questions, please email us at finaid@olemiss.edu or call 1-800-891-4596.