Financial Aid

Information on financial aid awards offered by the Graduate School is on the Graduate School website. 

Graduate assistantships are offered by the PSOA as well as by other units on campus. 

Financial aid opportunities are limited for students who are admitted in categories other than full standing. 

Students who are participating in the concurrent Juris Doctor/Master of Accountancy and Juris Doctor/Master of Taxation programs are not eligible to serve as graduate assistants or receive PSOA financial aid awards.

The PSOA offers over 90 financial aid awards to master’s students each year. To be considered for PSOA financial aid awards, you must complete the PSOA Financial Aid Application. You will be given access to that application once you’ve completed the admission application process. 

In addition to the information provided in the PSOA Financial Aid Application, transcript, admission application, GMAT, and FAFSA information is used to determine eligibility for PSOA awards. 

Current GPAs as of the time of selection are used in evaluating candidates for PSOA financial aid award eligibility. Students from other institutions who have completed undergraduate classes since admission must have a new official transcript sent to gschool@olemiss.edu by one of the priority deadlines to be considered for PSOA financial aid awards.

Students who apply by one of the priority application deadlines will be considered for awards given for the 2025-26 academic year. 

• February 1, 2025 – Priority Deadline 1 to apply for a 2025 summer term, Fall Semester 2025, Winter Intersession 2026, or Spring Semester 2026 and be considered for PSOA financial aid awards 
  • PSOA graduate assistantships will be offered to applicants with an admission score of 1350 or above [admission score = (200 x GPA) + GMAT] 
  • Scholarships and fellowships will be offered to applicants who meet specified award criteria 
• April 1, 2025 – Priority Deadline 2 to apply for a 2025 summer term, Fall Semester 2025, Winter Intersession 2026, or Spring Semester 2026 and be considered for PSOA financial aid awards 
  • Any remaining PSOA graduate assistantships will be offered to applicants with the highest admission scores 
  • Any remaining PSOA scholarships and fellowships will be offered to applicants who meet specified award criteria

The PSOA awards approximately 50 graduate assistantships each year for fall and spring semesters. 

Graduate assistants perform 10 hours of service to the PSOA per week, with responsibilities that may include assisting faculty, tutoring, proctoring exams, and/or assisting in the PSOA office. 

In exchange for their service, graduate assistants receive a partial tuition scholarship (approximately 60-65% of resident tuition), a 100% non-resident fee scholarship, and a semesterly stipend of $3,000. Graduate assistantships do not include winter intersession or summer terms. Tuition for classes in those terms is based on the student’s residency. 

Graduate assistantships are offered to students with the highest admission scores [admission score = (200 x GPA) + GMAT]. We accept valid scores for the current and previous versions of the GMAT. For admission score calculations, scores for the previous version will be equated to current GMAT scores using the score concordance chart provided by GMAC, the test provider. When a score for the previous version of the GMAT is equivalent to more than one current GMAT score, the highest score will be used. 

PSOA graduate assistants are not permitted to serve in additional graduate assistantship positions while serving in the PSOA.

With the goal of improving the economic status of Mississippi, the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation has generously provided funding for fellowships awarded to students in our Master of Accountancy & Data Analytics (MADA) and Master of Taxation & Data Analytics (MTDA) programs. Hearin Fellows receive a scholarship of $7,500 in fall and spring semesters, for a total award of $15,000. Remaining fall and spring semester scholarship funds can be used for classes taken outside of those semesters. Hearin Fellows fulfill a minimal service obligation, which generally consists of proctoring exams periodically during the semester. Eligible candidates are Mississippi residents who are admitted to the MADA or MTDA program and plan to work in Mississippi upon graduation from the master’s program.

The Patterson School of Accountancy proudly partners with KPMG to create pathways for underrepresented future leaders to build thriving careers in the professional services industry. Our Master of Accountancy & Data Analytics (MADA) program was established in 2018 in collaboration with KPMG, and we are committed to preparing students for the highly complex business landscape by combining the practical use of data and analytics technologies with a focused accounting curriculum. KPMG MADA Scholars receive a scholarship of $7,500 in fall and spring semesters, for a total award of $15,000. Remaining fall and spring semester scholarship funds can be used for classes taken outside of those semesters. Eligible candidates are students who are admitted to the MADA program, are members of an underrepresented population, and have either accepted a post-master’s job offer with KPMG or have not accepted a job offer at the time of selection. Funding for these scholarships is generously provided by KPMG.

To provide educational opportunities in accountancy and data analytics to Mississippi residents who are first-generation college students and/or members of underrepresented populations, the U.S. Department of Education has generously provided funding for the Minority & First-Generation Educational Initiative Scholarship program. The award includes a $10,000 scholarship in fall and spring semesters and a $1,200 technology stipend in fall semester, for a total award of $21,200. Remaining fall and spring semester scholarship funds can be used for classes taken outside of those semesters. Eligible candidates are Mississippi residents who are admitted to the Master of Accountancy & Data Analytics (MADA) or Master of Taxation & Data Analytics (MTDA) program and who are members of an underrepresented population and/or are first-generation students by this definition: an individual, neither of whose parents completed a baccalaureate degree; or an individual who, prior to the age of 18, regularly resided with and received support from only one parent and whose supporting parent did not complete a baccalaureate degree; or an individual who, prior to the age of 18, did not regularly reside with or receive support from a natural or adoptive parent.