State Grants & ProgramsQualify and receive

Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG)

Offered by Mississippi Office of State Financial Aid · Free to apply

The Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant is run by the Mississippi Office of State Financial Aid, the agency that administers the state's student aid programs. It is a rule-based award with no essay and no committee, designed to reward steady progress toward a degree at an in-state college. MTAG was created by an act of the Mississippi Legislature, and state law still governs its details, down to the requirement that students file a fresh renewal application every year. It sits alongside the HELP Grant and the Eminent Scholars Grant among the core undergraduate aid programs the office administers. Mississippi residents who enroll full time at an in-state public or private nonprofit college can pick up a small but easy state grant: $500 a year as a freshman or sophomore and $1,000 a year as a junior or senior. The academic bar is low, a 2.5 high school GPA and a 15 ACT with superscores accepted, and equivalency and homeschool graduates qualify. The catch runs opposite to most need-based aid: students eligible for the maximum federal Pell Grant are excluded, so this one is aimed at families in the middle. Applications go through the state aid portal between October 1 and September 15 of the award year, with supporting documents due October 15. Full-time enrollment, a 2.5 college GPA, and a fresh application each year keep it flowing, for up to eight semesters.

Other deadlines near this one

How hard is the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) to win?

This is not a competition. Aid is allocated by a published formula, so meeting the criteria and filing on time is what determines whether the money arrives.

Estimated odds: qualifying students generally receive it
Paperwork: ~2 hrs to file

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

Fewer rivalsOpen only to Mississippi residents
Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 2.5 GPA
Fewer rivalsRequires a minimum test score

How Solyo estimates this: State programs that allocate by published formula are modelled on qualification and filing, not on competition, because there is no selection committee choosing between applicants. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG)?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Must be a resident of Mississippi
Must attend a college in Mississippi (the award does not travel out of state)
Open to high school seniors and current college students
GPA of 2.5 or higher (unweighted)
ACT score of 15 or higher
Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card)

Confirm these before applying

Must be eligible for LESS than the maximum federal Pell Grant based on the FAFSA; students at full Pell are excluded
Apply through the MS Aid portal during the annual window (opens in the fall, closes mid-September); supporting documents due about a month later

Good to know

Must be a legal Mississippi resident for at least 1 year before applying
GED and homeschool graduates can qualify (equivalency diploma or homeschool transcript accepted in place of the high school GPA)
ACT superscores are accepted
Full-time enrollment (12+ hours) with continuous enrollment and passing grades each semester
Continuing students need a 2.5 cumulative college GPA on at least 12 completed hours
Limited to 8 semesters or degree completion, whichever comes first; must be pursuing a first certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree

Personalized matching

Does your student actually qualify?

Not sure your student clears every rule above? Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.

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What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is September 15, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual September 15 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open October 1. Apply in the fall of senior year even though the window stays open to September 15, since the grant can pay from the first semester.

State aid application opens: October 1, 2026
Supporting documents due: October 15, 2026
Application due: September 15, 2027 (estimated)

Track the next deadline Apply on the official site

Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.

Common questions about the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG)

How much is the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant worth?

MTAG pays up to $500 per academic year for freshmen and sophomores and up to $1,000 per academic year for juniors and seniors. Two pieces of fine print matter. First, "academic year" means fall and spring only, so summer terms are never covered. Second, Mississippi will pay you from only one state undergraduate grant program in any term: if you qualify for more than one, the state awards the larger of the two, and no combination of programs can run longer than eight semesters. The clock stops at eight semesters or degree completion, whichever comes first, so a fifth year is on you.

Who is eligible for the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant?

Entering freshmen need to be a legal Mississippi resident for one year before applying, graduate high school with a 2.5 GPA (GED and homeschool routes exist), score at least 15 on the ACT (superscores count), enroll full time at an approved Mississippi institution toward a first certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree, and be eligible for less than the maximum federal Pell Grant. Students already in college qualify with a 2.5 cumulative GPA on at least 12 completed hours, so a rough high school record is not fatal: you can establish the GPA in college and apply in a later year. Vocational and technical programs at community colleges are eligible too.

When is the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant deadline?

The application closes September 15, and the window opens the previous October 1, so families have almost a full year. The trap is the second date: supporting documents (residency proof such as the FAFSA or a Mississippi driver's license) are due October 15, after the application itself closes, and new applicants generally must submit two forms of residency documentation. MTAG is not a one-time award either: state law requires a fresh Mississippi Aid Application (MAAPP) every single academic year you want the money, filed by close of business on the deadline date.

Can you get MTAG if you qualify for a federal Pell Grant?

Yes, as long as your Pell eligibility is partial. The rule excludes only students eligible for the maximum federal Pell Grant; a student in the middle of the Pell range can hold both awards. The office pulls your Pell eligibility electronically from your most recent FAFSA transaction, so a mid-year FAFSA correction can change your MTAG status. Families certain they will not qualify for Pell at all have an alternative: instead of filing the FAFSA, they can sign the Statement of Certification inside the application, which the state built precisely for households that know they are over the Pell line. Read those certification statements carefully before signing.

What is the difference between MTAG and MESG, and can you get both?

MESG is the merit sister program and pays far more: up to $2,500 per academic year (capped at tuition and required fees) versus MTAG's $500 to $1,000. MESG demands a 29 ACT (1330 SAT) or National Merit Finalist or Semi-Finalist standing plus a 3.5 high school GPA, and unlike MTAG you must qualify as a high school senior on both numbers; you cannot earn your way in later with college grades. You cannot collect both in the same term: Mississippi pays from only one state grant program at a time and awards the larger sum, so a MESG-qualified student simply receives MESG. Note that MESG's published criteria include no Pell restriction, while MTAG's do.

What GPA do you need to keep MTAG?

A 2.5 cumulative college GPA, and Mississippi checks it at the end of every semester, not just once a year, along with continuous full-time enrollment completed with passing grades. The recovery rules differ by failure mode: lose MTAG to a low GPA and it comes back as soon as your cumulative GPA climbs to 2.5 again; lose it to under-enrollment and you must first complete a full-time semester with no MTAG money before you can be paid again. If a fall GPA dip cancels your spring award and grade changes later fix it, your school can submit an electronic grade verification, but it must arrive by March 15, so chase the registrar early.

Can you use MTAG part-time or for summer classes?

No on both counts. MTAG requires full-time enrollment, which Mississippi defines as 12 hours per semester, and it pays only during the regular fall and spring academic year; summer school is explicitly not covered. Drop below full time mid-semester and you become ineligible for the next full-time semester you attend. Skipping fall and enrolling only in spring also breaks the continuous-enrollment requirement, so students who take a fall term off lose the grant unless they obtain an exception for cause through the appeal process. One quirk worth knowing: if your school wrongly reports you as under-enrolled, an electronic enrollment verification can reinstate the award, due October 15 for fall or March 15 for spring.

When do Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) applications open?

Applications open October 1, and close September 15, 2027 (estimated). Apply in the fall of senior year even though the window stays open to September 15, since the grant can pay from the first semester.

Does the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) require an essay?

No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 2 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG)?

This is not a competition. Aid is allocated by a published formula, so meeting the criteria and filing on time is what determines whether the money arrives. Solyo classifies this award as qualify and receive, meaning qualifying students generally receive it. Plan on about 2 hrs of paperwork.

Is the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) free to apply?

Yes. The Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

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