Undergraduate Scholarships
F.L.I.G.H.T. Program
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Earn a free iGrad t-shirt by completing 5 or more iGrad courses and attending 1 financial workshop/event.
About
Students interested in completing a customized, self-paced financial literacy program can opt to complete this learning pathway at their own pace and earn a free t-shirt. Students get to choose their own lessons in iGrad and campus activities based on their own financial needs.
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
Next Steps
Student Guides for Financial Navigation:
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.
- Glossary of financial terms: https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/topic/glossary/articles
- Information about Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html?src=rn
- Review all freshman scholarship criteria, procedures, and deadlines at https://www.usm.edu/undergraduate-scholarships/freshman-scholarships.php
- 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 https://www.msfinancialaid.org/ application for all state of MS aid (if applicable) and contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional questions about this process
- 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.
- Visit the USM financial calendar and academic calendar to make sure your student is ready to tackle all upcoming deadlines
- Visit https://www.hsfpp.org/about/parents.aspx for educational and financial literacy resources to share with your student
- Schedule your tour with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions today, if you have not already!
- 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
- Explore Career Services resources, such as Job Location and Development and schedule appointments as needed
- Visit the Center for Pathway Experiences to learn how to gain more hands on experience, while earning your degree
- Visit our website for Nationally Competitive Programs and schedule an appointment to get started
- 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
- Apply for the McNair Scholars Program (if applicable)
- Attend the GRE Prep Bootcamp hosted by the Graduate School
