This page offers college-planning resources unique to Mississippi, including higher-education agencies, higher-education institutions, savings plans, state financial-aid programs, benefits for veterans, publications and special programs.

Mississippi Higher-Education Agencies

• Mississippi Department of Education.
• State Board of Community & Junior Colleges.
• Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.

Mississippi Higher-Education Institutions

• Postsecondary institutions.
• Four-year colleges and universities.
• Community colleges.
• Distance education.
• Mississippi residents also may qualify to attend an out-of-state college or university at a reduced tuition rate through the Academic Common Market.

Use College Answer's School Search Tool to compare colleges and universities on your list.

Savings Plans

College Savings Mississippi offers two ways to prepare financially for college:

• MPACT, a prepaid plan guaranteed by the State of Mississippi to cover college tuition and mandatory fees at Mississippi’s public or private colleges and out-of-state schools.
• MACS, an investment trust plan to save for your child’s college tuition as well as related expenses such as books, supplies, fees, and certain room and board costs.

State Financial-Aid Programs

• Listing of Mississippi state grant and scholarship programs.
• Kids' Chance of Mississippi is a scholarship fund established by the Mississippi Bar Foundation to provide scholarships for children who have had a parent killed or permanently and totally disabled on the job.

Important: To qualify for federal and state financial aid, you must file the FAFSA. To ensure priority consideration for Mississippi state scholarships and grants, you must complete the FAFSA. Check with your financial-aid administrator for school deadlines.

Benefits for Veterans

• Mississippi Department of Veterans Affair: Veterans Education.
• State of Mississippi, State Benefits for Mississippi Veterans, Dependents and Survivors.

Publications

• Mississippi Next.
• Mississippi's Mandate: Why the Investment in Education Pays off for Mississippi.
• Steps for Career/Life Planning.

Special Programs

• Education Services Foundation College Planning Division provides free college-planning services, including three resource centers and special programs for students in the Mississippi Delta.
• GEAR UP Mississippi helps students from lower-income families prepare for higher education.
• Fast Forward Mississippi, Mississippi's School-to-Careers initiative, helps Mississippi's students realize the world of career opportunities that await them.
• Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service engages and supports Mississippians of all ages and backgrounds in service to their communities.
• Mississippi Electronic Campus is a higher-education resource designed to assist adults, primarily, in accessing the higher-education courses and programs in a convenient format.
• Mississippi Career Resource Center is responsible for developing and delivering comprehensive career and labor market information.
• Mississippi's Job Bank where thousands of new jobs are posted daily by employers searching for someone like you.