Parent/Guardian Resources

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Southern Miss Guidelines and Resources

Parent Access to Student Records at USM: Southern Miss fully understands and appreciates the critical role parents and family play in the lives of their students. Parents offer not only emotional but financial support to students throughout their college enrollment and obviously have a vested interest in their students’ success. However, it is very important that parents understand that all information related to the enrollment of students 18 years of age and older is protected by the Family Educational and Privacy Act as amended in 1974 (more commonly known as FERPA).

• Click here to learn more about FERPA from the U.S. Department of Education. 
• Click here to learn how your student can grant you access to their student account information. 
• Click here to view the Financial Calendar
• Click here to view the Academic Calendar
• Click here to schedule a campus tour
• Click here for FAFSA and State of MS Aid information
• Click here to explore first year programs through our Center for Student Success

Family and Parent Programs: Southern Miss has an office designed to cater to the unique experiences of parents and guardians as they work to assist their student(s) through the college experience. This office goes above providing basic information to keep you in the know by providing a variety of parent and family programming to keep you engaged with the Southern Miss community and connect you to other families. 

Southern Miss' Parent and Family Coordinator, Daniel Rigel, would love to hear from you and get you plugged into our Southern Miss community! Feel free to reach out to Daniel.RigelFREEMississippi%20or click here to learn more about Parent and Family programs. 

Department of Education and State of MS Resources

• Glossary of Financial Terms
• How Financial Aid Works
• State of MS Aid Opportunities: Grant and Scholarship Programs 

Helpful Articles and Additional Resources

Great Advice for Parents 2023: A direct link to the free e-guide.

Along with the usual questions students and families have regarding college and financial aid, this year’s FAFSA changes can mean even more confusion. High schoolers need a definitive source of trusted information to navigate the college going process. Inceptia and NerdWallet have teamed up to bring you the information you need, at the time you need it most. Great Advice for Parents 2023 educates students and families, empowering them with the confidence to ask the right questions and make informed choices. This guide is meant for anyone who may benefit, including prospective students and families, staff/educators, and counselors! Please use the links below to access and share:

The Parent's Guide to College Planning

This is a great article published to help you navigate the collegiate planning process from 9th grade through college enrollment. If you want a quick checklist to help your student determine if college is the right choice for them, which college is the right choice for them, and how you can help make that a reality this article is for you. 

A Summary of Ruehrwin's recommendations:

• Communicate Openly: Ask your child what they need, and develop a mutual plan. Remind them of deadlines, and make sure you're always on the same page.
• Define Parameters: Spell out how you can help, whether it's financially or with specific aspects of the application process (e.g., research, test preparation, or brainstorming for college essays).
• Address the Cost of College: Parents and guardians must be open and honest with their child about how much they can afford to help, as financial aid opportunities and tuition costs may influence their student's choice of college.
• Keep in Touch With Counselors: Seek information from guidance counselors, who can inform you about college information sessions, deadlines, financial aid, and campus visits. Be sure to monitor school calendars for events.
• Use Trusted Resources: Some sources are more reliable than others. When researching schools, websites like BestColleges, the College Board, ACT.org, The Princeton Review, and — if your school offers them — Naviance and Scoir are helpful.
• Ask for Help: Aside from guidance counselors and other professionals, you can ask other parents and guardians how they guided their children through the admissions process. If all else fails, college websites usually contain the information you need.