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, and retirees. 

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.

Tuition Waiver for Retirees

Eligible retired faculty and staff may receive a tuition waiver for up to six (6) credit hours per semester. Retirees must complete the University’s admission or readmission requirements before registering for courses and must submit a tuition waiver each semester.

Retirees should contact University Human Resources for eligibility requirements, approval of the tuition waiver, and additional information regarding participation in the program.

Tuition Waiver for Dependent Children of Retirees

Eligible dependent children of retired University employees may also participate in the dependent child academic tuition waiver program. The benefit is available to qualifying dependent children pursuing their first degree at The University of Southern Mississippi, subject to program requirements.

To be eligible, the dependent child must:

• Be the child of a qualifying retired employee.
• Be under age 26 and unmarried. If the student turns 26 during a semester, the waiver may continue through the end of that semester.
• Be admitted or readmitted to The University of Southern Mississippi before registering for courses.
• Be enrolled in at least six (6) credit hours during the fall and spring semesters. There is no minimum enrollment requirement during the summer semester.
• Remain in good academic standing to continue receiving the benefit.
• Provide appropriate documentation verifying the dependent relationship, such as a birth certificate, legal guardianship documentation, or qualifying tax documentation.
• Eligible dependents should contact University Human Resources to determine the applicable waiver and obtain the required documentation.

How to Apply

Eligible employees can submit the tuition waiver request for themselves and/or their dependents through SOARHR by following these steps. 

For Retirees, a new tuition waiver form must be completed each semester. The dependent student must first complete the University’s admission process, and the required waiver and supporting documentation must be submitted to University Human Resources for verification and processing.

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.

The tuition waiver covers applicable tuition only. Students are responsible for all required fees and other educational expenses, including mandatory fees, course-related fees, books, supplies, housing, food, and applicable late or drop/add fees.