Academic Excellence National Merit and National Merit Finalist scholarships

This is a real program, but some details for the current cycle are not published or not yet confirmed. Check the official source before you plan around it.

Award

Published 2026–27 terms: National Merit Semifinalists/Finalists with at least a 3.0 high school GPA receive full tuition and standard double-occupancy campus housing, plus the full nonresident fee when applicable, renewable up to four years. Finalists may also receive the $20,000 Barnard Scholarship ($5,000 annually) and a $4,000 NMSC award ($1,000 annually) when Ole Miss is first choice and they do not receive a corporate National Merit award. Both resident and nonresident pages list Barnard. Fall 2027 amounts and eligibility remain unconfirmed.

Deadline

For the NMSC-sponsored Finalist award, NMSC must receive first-choice designation by May 31, 2027. Ole Miss says its National Merit awards follow the announcement timeline; Fall 2027 school-specific stages remain unconfirmed.

How to apply

Gain admission and provide documentation of National Merit standing. For the NMSC Finalist award, designate Ole Miss as first choice and do not receive a corporate National Merit award.

What you'll need

• No separate application: you are considered when you apply for admission

Who can apply

Published 2026–27 terms require entering freshmen with National Merit Semifinalist/Finalist status and at least a 3.0 high school GPA. Fall 2027 GPA criteria are not confirmed. Published freshman scholarship applicants may have no more than 18 college credits attempted after high school; dual enrollment is excluded. The NMSC-sponsored Finalist award excludes corporate National Merit award recipients. NMSC citizenship requirements apply to entrants attending high school outside the U.S.; individual award rules still apply.

Good to know

Current resident and nonresident pages show 2026–27 information; fall 2027 amounts and dates are not specified. Academic Excellence cannot stack with Academic Merit. Award-specific college GPA/credit renewal conditions require confirmation.