Southern Miss Counselor Hub
A one-stop resource for helping your students become Golden Eagles
HELPFUL INFO
August 1: The 2026 freshman admission application opens.
October 1:
- Campus housing application opens.
- Golden Opportunities (GO) Scholarship Application System opens.
- 2026-27 FAFSA opens for financial aid consideration. (Date subject to change by U.S. Department of Education)
January 15: Application deadline for freshman competitive programs (Honors College, Joe Paul Leadership Scholars Program, Luckyday Scholarship Program)
February 15: Freshman Orientation sign-up opens.
March 1:
- Application deadline for all other institutional merit-based scholarships, including those through the Southern Miss Alumni Association and the USM Foundation.
- Priority campus housing application deadline
May 1:
- Deadline to accept University scholarship offers
- Deadline to register for a Freshman Orientation session
To apply:
- In addition to the online application for admission, applicants should submit the $45 nonrefundable application fee, an official high school transcript, and ACT/SAT scores.
After admission:
- All admitted students are strongly encouraged to apply for campus housing, apply for
scholarships, and submit FAFSA.
If Southern Miss-bound:
- All future Golden Eagles should register for a Freshman Orientation session, accept any offers of aid, and finalize their campus housing application.
Click here for an A-Z list of the undergraduate programs available at Southern Miss. At the bottom of each program webpage is a printable degree plan and semester-by-semester guide.
- 2025-26 Basic Costs
- Awarding Guidelines for Freshman Scholarships
- Academic Excellence Scholarship
- Designation-Based Scholarships
- National Merit Scholarships
- Joe Paul Leadership Scholars Program
- Luckyday Scholars Program
- Honors College Scholarships
- Academic Common Market - External Opportunity
- Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC Scholarships
- AIR FORCE ROTC - For all of your Air Force ROTC questions, please contact the Department of Aerospace Studies.
- ARMY ROTC - For all of your Army ROTC questions, please contact the Department of Military Sciences.
- Military Scholarships
- Programs Requiring an Audition for Additional Scholarship Consideration
- Please, reach out to the designated department to audition and be considered for additional scholarships offered for program participation.
HOW TO...
Slate.org is now the preferred method of electronically submitting official transcripts on behalf of your students to the Office of Admissions. In addition to uploading transcripts, you can use Slate.org to upload senior schedules, test scores, and fee waiver forms.
Here's what you should know before you set up a Slate.org account for your school:
- There can only be one account per school.
- There can only be one admin per school, but admins can approve additional users.
- More than 1,600 colleges and universities use Slate.org, and you can use Slate.org to upload transcripts for any college/university that is a Slate.org member, not just Southern Miss.
We offer school group campus visits on Wednesdays (excluding holidays and University breaks) at 10 a.m.
This type of tour experience is scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis with total capacity set at 100 guests per time slot. This means more than one group can be served at each time slot.
Includes:
- Presentation about admissions, scholarships, campus life, and other aspects of being a Golden Eagle
- Student-led walking tour of campus and a residence hall
Recommended audiences:
- High School (9th-12th grade) or community college-aged school, nonprofit-organization, or college access groups.
- Groups of 10 or more students.
Additional information:
- On-campus dining accommodations are not included in the tour and must be arranged by the group through Eagle Dining two weeks prior to the visit.
- Cash is not accepted at any on-campus dining locations.
FAQS
Applications open August 1 for the fall semester following their high school graduation. We encourage students to apply early for priority scholarship and housing consideration.
Students are automatically considered upon admission for the Academic Excellence Scholarship, which is based on ACT/SAT and GPA. Every admitted student is encouraged to submit a general application in the GO System, but competitive and need-based scholarships typically require additional application steps for consideration.
Southern Miss hosts events like Black and Gold Days, regional Information Nights, and Junior Preview (spring) every year. View upcoming dates here.
We’d love to connect! Each high school is assigned a dedicated Southern Miss recruiter who can provide materials, attend your college fair, or schedule a private visit with you or your students. Visit here to find the admissions representative for your area and reach out directly. We're here to support you and your students every step of the way!
Email us at admissionsFREEMississippi or contact your recruiter directly. We’re happy to help you support your students every step of the way.