Scholarship Requests and Appeals

Mississippi State offers several scholarship request and appeal options for students whose circumstances affect their scholarship eligibility or requirements. Explore available options, review requirements and deadlines, and learn how to submit a request or appeal.

Scholarship Appeals

Mississippi State University students receiving academic scholarships are required to maintain continuous, full-time enrollment of at least 12 credit hours per semester at Mississippi State University and meet the minimum GPA requirement specified in their official scholarship offer letter.

Enrollment and GPA requirements are reviewed at the end of each spring semester to determine eligibility for scholarship renewal for the following academic year.

If you do not meet the renewal requirements for your scholarship, you have the right to appeal the cancellation of your scholarship. An exception may be considered for special or unusual circumstances, such as the death of an immediate family member, personal injury, illness, or other circumstances determined by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships and the University Scholarship Appeals Committee.

Information about the appeals process will be provided with scholarship cancellation notices sent at the end of each spring semester. Submitting a Scholarship Appeal does not guarantee approval.

Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship Reinstatement Opportunity

Non-resident students whose overall GPA falls below the required 3.0 may have an opportunity to regain only the Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship by meeting the following requirements:

Raise their overall GPA to 3.0 or higher
Maintain continuous, full-time enrollment at Mississippi State University during the fall and spring semesters
Have remaining semesters of Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship eligibility

Each fall or spring semester that a student remains enrolled while working to regain the scholarship counts toward the student's total remaining scholarship eligibility.

Once a student raises their overall GPA to 3.0 or higher, the student is responsible for notifying the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Scholarship Extension Requests

Students may request an extension of their academic scholarship if they will not graduate within the scholarship's allotted number of semesters. Extensions are considered only when extenuating circumstances prevented a student from completing their degree within the allotted number of semesters.

The following circumstances are not typically considered extenuating circumstances:

Adjusting to college life
Financial hardship
Job interference
Changing majors
Declaring a double major or minor
Using a scholarship semester during the summer

The Scholarship Extension process applies only to academic scholarships. It does not apply to financial aid, state aid, private scholarships, or departmental awards. Submitting an extension request does not guarantee approval.

To request the Scholarship Extension Request Form and instructions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Final Semester Part-Time Request

During their final semester at Mississippi State University, students may be eligible to receive their academic scholarship as a part-time student. A part-time student is enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours per semester at Mississippi State University. Students must have at least one semester of scholarship eligibility remaining to submit a Final Semester Part-Time Request.

If approved, the academic scholarship will be prorated based on the number of credit hours in which the student is enrolled.

The Final Semester Part-Time Request process applies only to academic scholarships. It does not apply to financial aid, state aid, private scholarships, or departmental awards.

To request the Final Semester Part-Time Request Form and instructions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Graduate Scholarship Request

Mississippi State University students who graduate early and have remaining scholarship eligibility may be eligible to receive their academic scholarship during their first year of graduate school at Mississippi State University.

To qualify, students must:

Be admitted to a graduate degree-seeking program at MSU immediately following undergraduate graduation.
Be enrolled as a full-time graduate student (at least 9 credit hours).

If approved, the Graduate Scholarship Request allows students to use only the number of scholarship semesters they have remaining. However, students with more than two semesters of remaining scholarship eligibility may receive their academic scholarship for no more than their first year of graduate school.

For non-resident students receiving a Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship and/or Alumni Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship, changes to residency status may result in the scholarship amount being adjusted or cancelled, even if a Graduate Scholarship Request is approved.

The Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship and Alumni Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship cannot be combined with other programs that waive non-resident charges, including Graduate Assistantships, the Academic Common Market, and Veteran, Service-Member, Dependent, or Spouse Non-Resident Tuition Waivers.

The Graduate Scholarship Request process applies only to academic scholarships. It does not apply to financial aid, state aid, private scholarships, or departmental awards.

To request the Graduate Scholarship Request Form and instructions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Summer Requests

Academic scholarships do not automatically apply to the summer semester. Mississippi State University students may request to use one semester of their academic scholarship eligibility during the summer. However, we recommend using a semester of scholarship eligibility during the summer only if one of the following applies:

You participated in a co-op or internship during a fall or spring semester and need summer coursework to stay on track.
You plan to graduate early or before using all of your allotted scholarship semesters.
You are a non-resident student with an Alumni Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship.
*Non-resident students may request to use only their Alumni Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship during the summer without using one of their remaining academic scholarship eligibility semesters.

Using an academic scholarship during the summer will count as one semester of your scholarship eligibility. This may result in you being responsible for educational costs after your final semester of scholarship eligibility. Academic scholarships are prorated based on enrollment for students enrolled less than full-time during the summer semester.

The Scholarship Summer Request process applies only to academic scholarships. It does not apply to financial aid, state aid, private scholarships, or departmental awards.

To request the Scholarship Summer Request Form and instructions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do if I no longer meet my academic scholarship requirements and they get cancelled?

Students who do not meet the renewal requirements for an academic scholarship may appeal the cancellation if they have special or unusual circumstances. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee approval.

How do I appeal the cancellation of my academic scholarships?

Students who do not meet their scholarship renewal requirements may submit a Scholarship Appeal. Information about the appeal process is provided with scholarship cancellation notices sent at the end of each spring semester.

Can I request an extension of my academic scholarship?

Yes. Students may request an extension if extenuating circumstances prevented them from graduating within their scholarship's allotted number of semesters. Approval is not guaranteed.

What circumstances qualify for a scholarship extension?

Scholarship extensions are considered when extenuating circumstances prevent a student from completing their degree within the allotted number of scholarship semesters. Circumstances such as changing majors, financial hardship, job interference, or using a scholarship during the summer are not typically considered extenuating circumstances.

Can I receive my academic scholarship(s) if I am part-time during my final semester?

Yes. Students may request to receive their academic scholarship as a part-time student during their final semester if they have at least one semester of scholarship eligibility remaining. If approved, the scholarship is prorated based on enrollment.

Can I use my academic scholarship for graduate school at Mississippi State University?

Students who graduate early and have remaining academic scholarship eligibility may be eligible to use their scholarship during their first year of graduate school at MSU. Students must be admitted to a graduate degree-seeking program immediately following undergraduate graduation and enroll full-time.

Can I use my academic scholarship(s) during the summer?

Academic scholarships do not automatically apply to the summer semester. The Mississippi State University Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships recommends that students only request to use their scholarships during specific circumstances. For a full listing of these circumstances, view our Scholarship Requests and Appeals page.

Does using my scholarship(s) during the summer use one of my scholarship semesters?

Yes. Using an academic scholarship during the summer counts as one semester of scholarship eligibility. This may result in you being responsible for educational costs after your final semester of scholarship eligibility.