Earn your free iGrad t-shirt by completing 5 or more iGrad courses and attending 1
workshop/event.
About
Through the F.L.I.G.H.T. Program, we have partnered with iGrad to bring financial
literacy to the entire University in a cohesive and extensive platform that is easy
to use. The F.L.I.G.H.T. (Financial Literacy Insight, Growth, Help and Teachings)
program is devoted to assisting the Southern Miss community on their journey toward
becoming financially successful. Our program is designed to provide a hands-on, self-paced
approach to financial education to prepare students, parents and the public in creating
financial stability to thrive at the University and as members of the community. Our
office also hosts classroom presentations, workshops, and campus events where students,
faculty, and staff will have opportunities to complete courses and expand on their
knowledge learned through the activities in iGrad.
iGrad is an interactive, online platform that offers a suite of tools designed to
provide Southern Miss students with knowledge on financial topics, including budgeting,
financial aid, banking, investing and more. There are videos, calculators, articles,
recommendations, games and other resources that can help them improve their finances.
The platform is free to all currently enrolled students, faculty and staff.
Benefits
Access to customized financial courses to strengthen your financial knowledge to make
informed financial decisions
Access to financial behavioral assessments to help you develop positive financial
habits to reach your financial goals
Access to financial tools and calculators to help you reduce your financial stress
and keep up with your progress in real time and adapt to any monetary changes in your
life
What You Can Expect
Each course has a skill level between introductory and advanced
Each course has an estimated time between 10-30 minutes and can be completed as many
times as necessary
Each course is customized based on the questionnaire you complete to ensure you complete
activities and content tailored to your specific needs and financial goals
After course completion, you will receive a customized action plan and recommendations
of other iGrad content that can assist you based on your course responses
New courses as added regularly
You will be able to download and/or print our your certificate of completion for each
course you complete to share with your friends and upload as proof of completion for
your free shirt
Values and Outcomes
1. Learning: Curriculum will allow students to research, engage, and promote current
financial literacy practices and understand how these concepts impact their future
and their communities.
2. Leadership: Students will be able lead the implementation and support of creating
a culture of financial wellness at Southern Miss by proudly wearing their iCan with
iGrad shirt and sharing resources they have accumulated through the platform.
3. Collaboration: iGrad results provide data that can be used to support the need
for student resources on campus to help students reach their financial and career
goals
4. Inclusion: Participants will learn and develop positive financial habits to
reduce financial stress and help them identify ways to responsibly fund their Southern
Miss Experience and explore opportunities they may have thought were not available
due to financial constraints
5. Responsibility: Students will develop life-long financial knowledge and habits
that will help them become economically responsible citizens during their time at
USM and beyond graduation
If you are planning to attend Southern Miss in the fall directly after your high school
graduation, we have outlined some helpful resources to help make sure that you have
the proper knowledge to secure your financial needs and prepare your student(s) in
learning about basic money management. Start with learning key financial terms, deadlines
and procedures for our University, and where to find corresponding information.
Complete your General Application and apply for additional USM scholarships in the
GO System: There are over 900 other scholarship opportunities open to USM students.
Utilize a reputable scholarship search site, such as https://www.fastweb.com/: Fastweb
is your connection to scholarships, colleges, financial aid, part-time jobs, internships,
additional financial literacy resources, and more.
Search scholarship opportunities provided by organizations within your community,
parent or guardian's employer, or scholarships associated with student organizations
that you are an active member: Make all awards payable to Business Services.
Complete your FAFSA for all federal aid opportunities: grants, federal work-study, federal loan opportunities,
and some private loan opportunities: Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional questions about this process. Also, remember that the Office of Undergraduate
Scholarships requires a FAFSA to be on file for scholarship consideration.
Explore First Year Programs provided through Center for Student Success at USM by visiting https://www.usm.edu/new-student-retention-programs/
Every year students should complete the General Application in the GO System, apply
for additional scholarships, complete a new FAFSA, and review all deadlines. In addition
to these items, we also recommend the following:
Apply for additional student programs through the Center for Student Success, such as Academic Coaching, Sophomore Spark, Jubilee Scholars, Transfer Student Association,
and more: Many programs offered through various offices at Southern Miss offer additional
scholarships to participants. Many programs offered through various offices at Southern
Miss offer additional scholarships to participants.
Not only are these resources and programs a great asset to your development as a student,
but they can also help in covering college expenses. They also provide hands on experiences
and student engagement within individual campus communities.
Utilize our Financial Wellness resources before, during, and after college to assist with various financial needs
and gaps.
Become actively engaged on campus and in the community by finding the right volunteer
opportunity through the Inclusion and Multicultural Office
Consider taking the Personal Finance 200 course offered at USM as an elective to learn
more about managing your own personal finances
In addition to taking advantage of the above resources, seniors should begin planning
for graduate school, interviewing for jobs, and/or preparing financially to tackle
any student loan payments and personal expenses associated with life after graduation.
Utilize our Financial Wellness resources before, during, and after college to assist with various financial needs
and gaps.
Make an appointment with Career Services to cover your basis: resume, sharpen your interview skills, networking, job seeking
skills
Attend the Career and Internship Expo, Teacher Job Fair, and utilize Handshake through Career Services.
Career Services encourages students of all classifications (Freshman - Alumni) to
attend the Career and Internship Expo. They believe that students should begin networking
and speaking with employers as early as Freshman year, so that they can grow in their
confidence with connecting to employers.
Review Graduate School Deadlines and Graduate Admissions processes at Graduate Admissions
Complete your General Application in the GO System and apply for scholarships: All University offered scholarships are located in the
GO System, including scholarships for graduate students
View the Funding Resources tab on Graduate Admissions' website for a list of additional ways to fund your studies