Tuition Waivers

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The University of Southern Mississippi offers tuition waiver benefits to eligible benefitted faculty and staff, as well as their dependent children, through SOARHR.

To take advantage of this benefit, the applicant—whether a university employee or a dependent—must first complete all admissions requirements through the Office of Admissions and be officially admitted or re-admitted to the University before registering for classes. Dependent children must be admitted to the University where their parent(s) or legal guardian is employed. Dependents must be under age 26 (i.e. not yet 26 at the start of the semester) to be eligible. If the student turns 26 during a semester, they are allowed to complete that semester under the waiver. Dependents must be unmarried and pursuing their first bachelor’s degree at USM.

Eligibility and Coverage:

• Full-time benefitted employees are eligible for up to 6 credit hours of tuition waiver per academic term.
• Part-time benefitted employees are eligible for up to 3 credit hours per academic term.
• Dependents of one full-time benefitted employee receive a 50% tuition waiver.
• Dependents of two full-time benefitted employees are eligible for a 100% tuition waiver.

How to Apply

Eligible employees and dependents can submit the tuition waiver request through SOARHR by following these steps. 

Complete and submit the tuition waiver form for the appropriate semester.
Ensure all admissions requirements have been met prior to course registration.

Deadlines

Tuition waiver applications should be submitted by the following dates each year:

July 1 – Fall Semester

December 1 – Spring Semester

May 1 – Summer Semester

Please note that deadlines are subject to change based on the academic calendar.