Financial Aid
Financial Calendar Spring 2026
Page Content
| Audience | Date | Complete Financial Action by Date | Important Info Links & Who to Contact |
| New & Continuing Students | November 1 | FAFSA & Verification Process Priority Date for Payment Consideration for spring | FAFSA & Verification: Financial Aid Payment Information: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | November 15 | Anticipated aid and balance due visible to students in SOAR | Anticipated Aid: Financial Aid Balance Information: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | December 1 | Faculty/Staff Tuition Waiver Priority Date for Payment Consideration for spring | Faculty/Staff Tuition Waiver: Human Resources |
| New & Continuing Students | January 3 | Last day to add/drop Intersession classes without academic/financial penalty | Class Registration: Registrar Office Withdrawals & Tuition Credits: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | January 5 | Spring 2026 Intersession classes begin. | Class Registration: Registrar Office |
| New Transfer Students | January 5 | Admission & Scholarship Application deadline for incoming spring Transfer Academic and Transfer Designation-Based Scholarships |
Admissions & Transcripts: Admissions Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New & Continuing Students | January 10 | Student Responsibility amount due in full or enrollment in 1st payment plan installment due (Students who do not pay their balance in full or enroll in the payment plan by the University deadline at the start of each semester may have their class schedule dropped.) | Payment Information: Business Services |
| New Freshman Students | January 15 | Competitive Scholarship application deadline for incoming fall 2026 freshman Luckyday, Honors College & McCarty Scholars for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) | GO System: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New Transfer Students | January 15 | Acceptance deadline for spring Transfer Academic & Transfer Designation-Based Scholarships | Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New & Continuing Students | January 15 | Spring Scholarship Appeal Window Opens | Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New & Continuing Students | January 20 |
Spring 2026 Regular and Session I classes begin. Note: Scholarships and financial aid awards typically post on SOAR accounts by the second week of the semester. |
Class Registration: Your Academic Advisor, contact information on SOAR |
| New & Continuing Students | January 22 | Last day to add/drop Session I classes without academic/financial penalty |
Class Registration: Registrar Office Withdrawals & Tuition Credits: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | January 25 | Spring Scholarship Appeal Window Closes. | Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New & Continuing Students | January 27 | Last day to add/drop full-term classes without academic or financial penalty |
Class Registration: Registrar Office Withdrawals & Tuition Credits: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | January 30 | Begin processing Spring 2026 refunds. | Refunds Schedules: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | February 10 | 2nd Payment plan installment due | Payment Information: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | March 1 | Priority date for GO General Application for other USM scholarship opportunities for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) | GO System: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New Students | March 1 | Priority date for housing application with $75 fee. After this date, fee will increase to $150 for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) | Housing Application: Housing & Residence Life |
| New & Continuing Students | March 1 | State of Mississippi Financial Aid typically sends funding to The University of Southern Mississippi in March to post state awards to SOAR accounts. | Anticipated State of MS Awards: Financial Aid |
| New & Continuing Students | March 10 | 3rd Payment plan installment due | Payment Information: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | March 23 | Spring 2026 Session II classes begin. | Class Registration: Registrar Office |
| New & Continuing Students | March 25 | Last day to add/drop Session II classes without academic/financial penalty |
Class Registration: Registrar Office Withdrawals & Tuition Credits: Business Services |
| New & Continuing Students | March 31 | State of MS Financial Aid: HELP application fall 2026 deadline for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) | Anticipated State of MS Awards: Financial Aid |
| New & Continuing Students | April 10 | 4th Payment plan installment due | Payment Information: Business Services |
| New Freshman Students | May 1 | Acceptance deadline in SOAR for incoming fall 2026 freshman Academic Excellence for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) | Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New Freshman Students | May 1 | Acceptance deadline in GO for incoming fall 2026 Competitive Scholarships for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) | Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New Freshman Students | May 1 | Scholarship Application deadline for incoming fall 2026 freshman National Merit Scholarships for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) | GO System: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New & Continuing Students | May 10 | 5th Payment plan installment due | Payment Information: Business Services |
| New Freshman Students | August 1 | Deadline to submit updated test scores to Admissions for incoming fall 2026 Academic Excellence & Freshman Designation-Based Scholarships for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) |
Admissions & Test Score: Admissions Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New Transfer Students | August 15 | Deadline to submit updated transcripts to Admissions for incoming fall 2026 Transfer Merit and Designation-based Scholarships for the upcoming academic year (2026-27) |
Admissions & Test Score: Admissions Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New & Continuing Students | August 15 | Fall Scholarship Appeal Window Opens | Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |
| New & Continuing Students | August 15 | Fall Scholarship Appeal Window Closes | Scholarship Eligibility: Office of Undergraduate Scholarships |