To qualify for state financial aid in fall 2016, the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board has modified the definition of full-time student. Now, students must enroll for a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester.
Data show that the average student taking 12 credit hours per semester typically will graduate in a five-year time span from a four-year institution. The new change is expected to inspire students to “Finish in 4,” whether completing four years at a community college or four years at a university.
Dr. Jim Turcotte, chair of the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board, said, “Reduced time in college ultimately saves students and their families thousands of dollars and makes college more affordable.”
Undergraduate state-aid programs that require full-time enrollment are:
· Higher Education Legislative Plan for Needy Students Scholarship (HELP)
· Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG)
· Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant (MESG)
· Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen Scholarship (LAW)
· Teacher Education Scholars Forgivable Loan (TES)
· William Winter Teacher and Alternate Route Teacher Forgivable Loan (WWTS/WWAR)
· Health Care Professions Undergraduate Forgivable Loan (HCP-UG)
Visit www.mississippi.edu/take15 or contact the University’s financial aid office for more details.