Scholarships
Learn about scholarships available from the College of Liberal Arts as well as many departments within the College.
Departmental Scholarships
Most departments in the College of Liberal Arts have scholarships available for their majors. Incoming freshmen should complete the UM Special Programs and Scholarship Application after admission to the university and before the deadline of January 10 to apply for many of these scholarships.
Connect with Our Departments for More Information About the Scholarships They Award
CLA Dean's Office Scholarships for New Students
The Dean’s office in the College of Liberal Arts administers the following scholarships. No scholarship applications are required. Incoming freshmen should complete the UM Special Programs and Scholarship Application by January 10. It is used for department and Dean's office scholarships.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major
- Incoming freshmen
- Financial need (FAFSA required)
Strong candidates will have:
- Academic achievement
- Leadership
Application process:
- Complete UM Special Programs and Scholarship Application
- Deadline is January 10
About William Benjamin and Hazel Holmes Barnes
William Benjamin Barnes joined the family business, Barnes Truck Line, Inc. in the 1930’s, retiring as president in 1976. From a fourth-generation family of Marion County, MS he had strong ties to the community & was a member of the Columbia City School Board, Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, and an officer in the Mississippi Trucking Association. Hazel Holmes Barnes was licensed as a consultant of the National Accredited Appraiser of Landscape Design. She served on the Board of Directors of the Garden Clubs of Mississippi and as State Roadside Chairman in the implementation of the National Beautification Act of 1965. She worked tirelessly toward the beautification of public and private facilities in Columbia and surrounding areas. She served as a member of the City of Columbia Planning Commission for 32 years.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major
- Incoming freshmen
- Resident of Davidson County, TN; California, Illinois, or Florida
Strong candidates will have:
- Academic achievement
- Leadership
Application Process:
- Complete UM Special Programs and Scholarship Application
- Deadline is January 10
About the Furlong Family
Mr. Larry and Emily Furlong met at UM in the late 1960s, and their two daughters also attended UM. All earned their degrees from the College of Liberal Arts – political science, sociology, art, theatre, journalism, history, and anthropology. Now residing in Florida, Mr. Furlong is Vice President of Sales with Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, and Mrs. Furlong is Senior Program Manager for the Rollins College Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership Center. They gave back to the university that helped their daughters attend school through scholarship support.
“Their scholarships were a real boon to us financially, so this endowment was our way of giving back to the university for its generosity to our children,” Mr. Furlong said. “We chose the College because all four of us were liberal arts majors. We decided to award the scholarship to applicants from the states where we were originally from or where we had lived the longest.”
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major
- Incoming freshmen
- Financial need (FAFSA required)
Strong candidates will have:
- Academic achievement
- Leadership
Application process:
- Complete UM Special Programs and Scholarship Application
- Deadline is January 10
About John Kenneth and Betty Overstreet Gresham
John “Buddy” Overstreet (1930-2009) served in the Korean War as 1st Lieutenant in the 224th Regiment of the 30th Infantry Division before attending UM. He and his wife were residents of Greenville, MS, for 42 years before retiring to Oxford. He served four terms in the MS Senate, held many leadership positions in the state and in higher education, co-owned WJPR Radio Station in Greenville, and owned several nursing homes across the state.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major
- Incoming freshmen
- Financial need (FAFSA required)
- Resident of Shelby County, TN
- FASTrack program students have first preference
Strong candidates will have:
- Academic achievement
- Leadership
Application process:
- Complete UM Special Programs and Scholarship Application
- Deadline is January 10
About Dorothy A. Halliday
Born in Rosedale, MS, Mrs. Halliday (1935-2012) received her degree from the College of Liberal Arts in 1956. She worked for Delta Airlines and then the Memphis University School Bookstore. She was an avid painter and a member of the “Memphis Ten,” a group of talented local women artists who have been meeting regularly for decades. As she lived most of her life in Memphis, the scholarship is directed to students from Shelby County who have financial need.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- Major in African American Studies, English, History, or Southern Studies
- At least a 3.0 GPA
- Incoming freshman or transfer student as first preference
- Resident of Itawamba County
Application process:
- No application process
About Elmo Howell
Mr. Howell was born in Itawamba County, MS, graduated from UM in 1940, and was an English professor at several institutions, including Memphis.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major
- Incoming freshman
- At least a 3.0 GPA in high school
- Mississippi resident
Strong candidates will have:
- Academic achievement
- Leadership
Application process:
- Complete UM Special Programs and Scholarship Application
- Deadline is January 10
About Dorothy Lee Tatum
Dorothy Lee Tatum (1924-2015) attended the University of Mississippi to finish her degree, traveling one semester to Oxford, England to study at St. Johns College. She graduated in 1989, serving as Class Marshall. She was a member of the Board of Directors for The Center for the Study of Southern Culture as well as being a member of Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters.
CLA Dean's Office Scholarships for Current Students
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major
- Good academic standing
- Financial need (FAFSA required)
- Enrollment in a CLA faculty-led Study Abroad or Study USA course
Application process:
- Complete the scholarship application on the Study Abroad or Study USA website by deadline posted.
About the Brooks Family
Alumna Virginia Brooks (BA French 76) gives funding for travel scholarships. A former French teacher who loves travel, she “wants to help students broaden their horizons in order to live in a global world and to understand those who live outside of the US.”
“Travel gives a broader perspective on life,” said Brooks, ooriginally from New Orleans, who lives in Atlanta with her husband, Jim. They are partners in the Ruths Chris Steakhouse franchise as well as Up on The Roof in Greenville, South Carolina; Anderson, South Carolina; and Alpharetta, Georgia.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, forensic chemistry, math, physics
- Juniors and Seniors
- At least 3.0 GPA
- Financial need (FAFSA required)
Application process:
- Department nomination
- No application
About James Farrell
Mr. James Farrell was a chemical engineering student who graduated from UM in 1943, and his estate gift in 1996 gave funds for STEM majors.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major
- Sophomore
- At least a 3.0 GPA during freshman year
- Financial need (FAFSA required)
- Resident of Prentiss or Lee county
Strong candidates will have:
- Academic achievement
- Leadership
Application process:
- No application process
About the Hardy family
John Thomas “JT” Hardy (1906-1978) and Sadie Ricks Hardy (1906-2007) were both born in northeast Mississippi near Booneville and attended the rural public schools. Sadie enrolled in Blue Mountain College around 1924, marrying J.T. in 1928. During the 1930s, J.T. worked in retail sales and Sadie taught in the public schools. For thirty years J.T. was an agent for the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, retiring as a district manager in 1971. Both are buried in the Booneville Cemetery.
Their son, John Thomas Hardy Jr. (1938-2023), entered UM in 1956 and graduated in 1960 with a B.S. in chemical engineering. He then attended Louisiana State University to earn a M.S. degree (1962) and PhD degree (1965) in mathematics. Dr. Hardy held faculty positions in mathematics at the University of Georgia (3 years) and the University of Houston (46 years). At the University of Houston, he served as Associate Dean in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics for 26 years, retiring in 2016.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major in classics, English, history, math, one of the modern languages, physics
- Junior
- At least a 3.0 GPA
- Resident of Yalobusha, Calhoun, Lafayette or Grenada county
Application process:
- No application process
About Hattie Burke Jackson
The late Harriet Jackson, who grew up in Water Valley, MS, taught French at UM. During WWII, Harriet Jackson lived in Miami and served as a mail censor of French and Spanish language material. She enjoyed teaching French and traveling throughout Europe and Mexico. She gave the scholarship in honor of her mother, Hattie Burke Jackson.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major
- Junior
- At least a 3.0 GPA
- Mississippi resident first preference
- Pursuing a teaching career, as indicated by a second degree in School of Education or Bachelor of Music in Music Education
Strong candidates will have:
- Academic achievement
Application process:
- No application process
About Mitzie B. Lindsey
The endowment was created by three sisters – Leah L. Thomson, Lori L White, and Laura W. Milling – to honor their mother who was passionate about education as a teacher of students with special needs in Fulton, MS.
“My mother was smart, beautiful and gregarious, and she always had a smile and kind word for everyone. She was an excellent role model and encouraged her daughters to try things, to seize opportunities. She valued education and loved Ole Miss and the state of Mississippi,” said Thomson.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- College of Liberal Arts major in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, math, physics; nutrition and dietetics in the School of Applied Sciences
- Junior
- Approved accommodation from Office of Student Disability Services
- Smith County, Mississippi resident first preference
Strong candidates will have:
- Academic achievement
Application process:
- No application process
About Jerrel K. and Laura A. Yates
The Jerrel K. and Laura A. Yates endowment was established in 2013 to benefit disabled students studying mathematics, nutrition and select sciences by Jerrel K. and Laura A. Yates. Dr. Jerrel Yates (1947 - 2022) was a native of Taylorsville, MS. He retired as a mathematics and computer science professor from Columbus State University in Columbus, GA, serving as Department Chair of the Mathematics Dept during part of his tenure at Columbus State University. He received his BS (1964) and PhD (1972) from UM. In addition, he earned an MS from Texas A and M University (1966). He was a partial paraplegic from the age of 13 as a result of a logging accident in MS working in the family logging business.
Laura Ann Bell Reid Yates was a native of Brookview, MD. Mrs. Yates (1946 - ) earned her BS in Home Economics Education (University of Maryland, 1968), BS, Coordinated Dietetics Program, Summa Cum Laude (Auburn University, AL, 1990), and MS in Nutrition (Auburn University, AL, 1997). She retired as a Registered Dietitian. Her career was spent working in the hemodialysis setting. In addition, she taught Applied Nutrition at Columbus State University, Columbus, GA, as a part time instructor for 12 years.
Other University Scholarships Available to Students Enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts
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Pursuing a health profession?
Scholarships are available for students pursuing a health profession. Contact the Health Professions Advising Office for further information.
HPAO Scholarships -
Scholarships from the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy
Scholarships dedicated to majors in the College of Liberal Arts are also available through the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy.
Ole Miss Women's Council -
Assistance for Academic Opportunities
UM Student Affairs provides supplemental support for presentations at conferences or other special events that offer opportunities for students to expand their educational and professional development.
Student Development Grants