Understanding Basic Costs at The University of Southern Mississippi

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Students and families ask us how to understand costs at Southern Miss. The question most commonly asked is, “How do I figure out the bottom line?” Use the charts below to determine an estimated review of basic expenses versus financial opportunities.

Calculate the Bottom Line:

(Total Basic Expenses) – (Offered Financial Opportunities) = Bottom Line

* Due to IHL policy, students are unable to receive two scholarships for the same designation (ex: two tuition or two housing scholarships). Contact the Office of Undergraduate Scholarships at 601.266.4540 with specific questions regarding your circumstance.

*The amounts shown here are calculated on the estimated tuition rates for the 2022-23 academic year. Tuition rates are subject to change with the approval of IHL and/or University policy.

Basic Expenses for 2022-2023 Academic Year:

Tuition & Fees	Semester Amount	Annual Amount
Tuition & Fees (MS Resident)* Tuition & Fees (Nonresident)****	$4,615 (MS Resident) $5,615 (Nonresident)	$9,230 (MS Resident) $11,230 (Nonresident)
Campus Housing (Century Park)	$3,712	$7,424
Meal Plan** (Black and Gold Plan)	$2,125	$4,250
*Estimated* Textbook Costs*** Cost of Text Book Rental Program	$750	$1,500
Total	$11,202 (MS Resident) $12,202 (Nonresident)	$22,404 (MS Resident) $24,404 (Nonresident)

*Includes capital improvement fee of $35 each fall/spring semester and student activities fee of $20 each fall/spring semester.

** Meal Plan costs vary by student. The Black and Gold Plan is the basic meal plan for students residing on campus.

***Textbook costs vary by student. Based on a campus-wide survey to all Southern Miss students, $750 was the average cost per semester.

****Includes nonresident fee of $1,000 per fall/spring semester, capital improvement fee of $35 each fall/spring semester, and student activities fee of $20 each fall/spring semester.

Financial Opportunities:

Southern Miss requires a current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for all undergraduate scholarships. Why? We want to help our students maximize their opportunities for all types of financial assistance.

Upon admission to Southern Miss, students should complete the Golden Opportunities Scholarship Application System (GO). Once a general application is submitted, students can also apply for other recommended opportunities listed in “My Applications”.

Utilize the search bar feature to narrow down results by academic department, student organizations, service opportunities, etc.
Some student programs and student organizations offer scholarships for their participants.

Private scholarships are typically awarded by sources not associated with Southern Miss. Examples include, but are not limited to, community organizations (Rotary, Lion’s Club, etc.) or companies. Students should submit these scholarships to Business Services.

There may be other opportunities from external resources. A good rule of thumb is to apply for all scholarships available. Even a small $100 scholarship could help cover one or two textbooks.

Federal Grants: A student’s eligibility for federal aid is determined by the information provided on the FAFSA. Examples: Pell Grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
State Grants (MS Residents Only): MS residents apply at riseupms.com. If a student is eligible for more than one state grant aid program that student will only receive the state grant aid program that has the larger award amount. Examples: HELP Grant, MESG, MTAG, etc.

Federal Loans: A student’s eligibility for federal aid is determined by the information provided on the FAFSA. Examples: Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized Loan, and Direct PLUS Loan Program
Private Loans: List of Alternative Loans can be found on the Office of Financial Aid’s website. These loans are available for students not eligible for financial aid or if additional financial assistance is needed to meet educational expenses.

Click here to view our funding guide
Click here to view other additional funding resources

How to determine what Financial Opportunities have been offered:

Students can login to SOAR (with username and password) and view financial opportunities offered for each academic year by selecting the Financial Aid tile. Pay attention to acceptance deadlines. Once you have a list of all financial opportunities that have been offered, you can use this total to help calculate your bottom line.

If you need help reviewing scholarship eligibility for academic and designation-based scholarships, please click on the links below for more details.