Mississippi's Scholarships Geared To Keep Students Out Of Debt

The state of Mississippi likes to say you don't have to go into deep debt to study in the Deep South! It backs this saying up by offering a wide array of grants and loan forgiveness programs. The Magnolia state also has teamed up with a wide array of other groups for merit-based scholarships.

dixie plates

One such group is one of its largest employers, the Nissan Corp. It's open to any local high school grad with intentions of attending a state sponsored two or four-year university. Applicants must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average and a proven record of community service. Nissan awards different amounts to a different number of students each year.

DIXIE

Another organization Mississippi has teamed up with is the NAPA Corp, best known for producing tarmac. Entitled the Research and Education Foundation Scholarship Program, it is open to all Magnolia State students of civil engineering or construction management. They can be enrolled anywhere from a fully accredited university to a two-year vocational school. This is a purely academically-oriented scholarship and does not consider financial need. It can cover all tuition.

Another academically oriented scholarship program that Mississippi participates in is administered by EMU. To qualify for this program, a student must have a 3.5 grade cumulative average over the last three years. It will award as much as ,600 per academic year to be used at any school or degree program, except schools in Ohio and Michigan.

For those who like to stay closer to home, there is the Mississippi Eminent Scholar Program. This one looks like it comes from Mississippi itself. The applicant must have a 3.5 cumulative average, and the ,500 award must be used at a state-sponsored school. It must also be for a full-time, four-year degree program.

Probably one of the most original scholarship programs Mississippi participates in is with Dixie Youth Baseball. It's open to any child who participates in one of its leagues. The group openly admits its awards are neither based on academics or good citizenship, but just for playing the grand old game. Instead, each team selects a player and fills out a nomination form. From there, the Dixie Youth Baseball commissioners select the winners. They receive a one-time ,000 award.

Lastly, Mississippi also has its version of the Robert C. Byrd Honors program. Mississippi's version goes to high school students who earn as close to a 4.0 grade point average as possible. SAT and ACT scores are also considered. Recipients are selected by their high school officials. Again, if selected, the student receives ,500 to any school in the United States. It is also renewable.

Mississippi's Scholarships Geared To Keep Students Out Of Debt

What is consistent about Mississippi's scholarship programs is that the state went out of its way to find outside organizations to help reward deserving students. It doesn't matter if it's from a company who also is one of the state's largest providers of jobs or from a sports organization. What underlies it all is the state is backing up what it claims by finding ways for its citizens to not go into debt in order to get an advanced education. By obtaining scholarships and grants, sometimes it is possible for students to get all of their educational costs covered, whether they are enrolled in a full course load or just taking a course online.

DIXIE