Nissan Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid

Here’s a clearer, teacher-friendly version of the Nissan North America scholarship information — organized so a student (or counselor) can quickly see what matters and what to do.

Overview
Nissan North America, Inc. offers scholarships for Mississippi graduating seniors who plan to enroll full time at a Mississippi public two‑year or four‑year college. The award covers tuition, required fees, and a book allowance.

Important dates
- Application open: October 1 to March 1
- All supporting documents deadline: March 1

Who is eligible
You must meet all of these criteria:
- Be a graduating Mississippi high school student in the current year.
- Have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) after at least seven semesters.
- Score at least 20 on the ACT or 940 on the SAT on a national test administration (residual test scores are not accepted). ACT superscoring is accepted.
- Be a legal resident of Mississippi for at least one year prior to applying.
- Plan to enroll full time at a Mississippi public community college or university in a program that leads to your first associate’s or first bachelor’s degree.
- Show leadership through extracurricular activities, work, or community involvement.
- Demonstrate financial need by completing the FAFSA.
- Submit a signed essay (maximum 200 words) answering: “How do my plans for the future and my college major support the Automotive industry in Mississippi?”

Application materials (make sure you have these)
- Official transcript showing at least seven semesters and your cumulative GPA.
- Official ACT or SAT score report (national test).
- Completed FAFSA (for financial-need verification).
- Signed 200-word essay on the topic above.
- Proof of Mississippi residency (as required by the program).

Selection process
A Nissan Scholarship Selection Committee chooses recipients each year. Evaluation is by these weighted criteria:
- Academic achievement: 50%
- Extracurriculars/work/leadership/community involvement: 15%
- Quality of the signed 200-word essay: 15%
- Demonstrated financial need: 20%

Number and amount of awards
- The number of scholarships awarded each year depends on available funds; typically one or two recipients.
- Each scholarship pays full tuition, required fees, and provides a book allowance.

Length of the award
- The scholarship may be renewed for up to four years. That can be two years at a community college followed by two years at a university, or up to four years at a four‑year university.

Important restrictions
- You may not receive undergraduate grant aid from more than one state-supported undergraduate grant program in the same term. If eligible for multiple programs, you’ll receive the larger award.
- No student may receive undergraduate grant aid from state programs for more than eight semesters total.

Quick tips (from a teacher)
- Meet the March 1 deadline — don’t wait until the last minute.
- Complete the FAFSA early so your financial-need documentation is ready.
- Keep your essay focused and specific — 200 words, signed, and directly tied to how your major and plans support Mississippi’s automotive industry.
- Document leadership with clear examples (offices held, hours, outcomes) — that’s part of the scoring.

If you want, I can help edit the 200-word essay or review a checklist of documents before you submit.