Financial Matters
Attending college is not only an academic decision but also a financial one. You can plan for the various costs, financial requirements and responsibilities.
Tuition and Fee Payment
Payment for tuition and fees is due after registration. The Office of the Bursar sends monthly notifications on the first day of each month to the student’s official University email account. Access your online statement by clicking the myOleMiss link in the monthly notification.
Parents will receive these monthly email notifications if they have been signed up for Relative/ Guardian access. Students can authorize their parents to receive WebIDs from within their myOleMiss account be selecting the ‘Student’ tab, then ‘My Profile,’ then ‘Access for Relatives/Guardians’ and finally selecting the ‘View/Pay My Bills’ option. Parents must have access to the ‘View/Pay My Bills’ option to receive the email notification.
Unpaid or Late Fees
If payment is not received by the due date, a monthly service fee will be assessed on the unpaid balance of tuition and fees and other outstanding charges. Partial payments may be made during the enrollment period; however, the account must be current in order to register for future enrollment periods. “Current” means that tuition and fees for the current and previous enrollment periods are paid in full and all other charges are less than 30 days old.
The University reserves the right to cancel a student’s registration for nonpayment of tuition and fees for a previous enrollment period.
Payment Options
Options for payment of tuition and fees include: cash, credit card (2.75% convenience fee added and must be done online), check, money order, bank draft payable to the “University of Mississippi”. All checks must be payable in U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. banks. International payments can be made using Flywire. See International Payments for details.
Please direct questions or concerns regarding tuition and fee payment to the Office of the Bursar.
Banking
Newly arrived students will probably find it easiest to open an account in person at one of the local banks or the credit union. Think about your needs and compare the options at different providers. Factors influencing the costs will be things like the minimum balance maintained in the account, the number of deposits and debits being made, use of a debit card, foreign transaction fees, etc.
Those who are not eligible or do not yet have a U.S. Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification number will be limited to opening accounts that do not earn interest on the money deposited. After obtaining a U.S. Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, there will be additional options for the types of accounts that can be opened and financial institutions that can be used.
Common Account Types:
Checking accounts are designed to allow you to write checks or use a debit card to access money you have deposited in your account. There is usually a fee when you order checks and there may be charges for using a debit card to withdraw funds from an automated teller machine (ATM). Some checking accounts have a monthly maintenance fee.
Documentation required to open a checking account at most banks:
- Valid passport or driver’s license
- US Citizenship and Immigration Services documentation (I-20, DS-2019, H-1B or O-1 I-797 Approval Notice, TN I-94, Employment Authorization Card, Green Card, etc.)
- School ID
- Physical address (Apartment, home, or residence hall address)
- Mailing Address (P.O. Box or street address where you can receive mail)
- Phone Number and email address
One may write checks on a savings account that is earning interest daily.
The initial deposit to your account could be cash, a bank draft payable to you or a transfer of funds from another financial institution. Bank draft or transfer of funds can delay your ability to access the funds since the bank will wait until the transfer has been fully processed by the originating institution.
Local Financial Institutions
Bank of OxfordLocations: 2531 Jackson Ave. West | 2043 University Ave. Minimum deposit of $100 to open account Social Security Number required | Regions BankLocations: 158 Courthouse Square (in The Square) | 1960 University Avenue | 1800 Jackson Avenue West Social Security number required? No. However, internet banking access cannot be granted without SSN. |
Cadence BankLocations: 517 South Lamar Blvd | 1929 West Jackson Ave No Social Security Number needed | Renasant BankLocations: 1106 Van Buren Ave | 1111 Jackson Ave. East | 1901 University Ave. Minimum deposit of $50 to open account Social Security Number required |
First National Bank of OxfordLocation: 101 Courthouse Square (in The Square) Social Security Number required | Trustmark BankLocations: 106 Courthouse Square | 714 Jackson Ave. East Minimum deposit of $50 to open account Social Security Number required |
Mississippi Federal Credit Union | Woodforest BankLocation: 2530 Jackson Avenue West (inside Walmart) Special requirements: For on-campus students: letter from Dept. of Student Housing confirming residence and mailing address. For off-campus students: Any personal mail received at your address in your name (i.e. utility bill, credit card statement, etc.) plus letter from apartment leasing office or copy of lease confirming address. |
Guaranty Bank(Previously Oxford University Bank) Locations: 1550 University Avenue | 404 Enterprise Drive Suite A | 1800 Jackson Ave W Social Security Number required |
You may wish to review “Banking for International Students: First-Time Guide” created by CreditDonkey. This resource was neither created nor managed by the University.
Tax Information
- What is Considered Income
- What is a Tax Return
- Who Must File a Tax Return
- What is a “Non-Resident” Alien
- Determining Tax Residency
- Where to Get Help Locally
- Additional Internet Resources
Form 8843
Every student, scholar, researcher and dependent child or spouse is required to file this form even if no income was earned. This form may be found at irs.gov. Simply type 8843 into the search mechanism and you will be linked to the form.
Please keep in mind that in most cases, all tax forms are required to be filed by April 15th. Failure to do so may result in penalties. It is highly suggested that photocopies of all tax forms be kept, and all mailed documents should be sent by certified mail with return receipt requested.
In general, international students and scholars who resided in Mississippi from January 1 through December 31 of the previous year are residents for tax-purposes and should fill out tax form 80-105 or 80-110.
Students or scholars who lived in Mississippi for LESS than 12 months during the previous year are considered non-residents for tax-purposes and should fill out tax form 80-205.
*If you must file state tax forms from a state other than Mississippi, please visit that states website. Most sites may be accessed at www. (state’s name) .gov.
Electronic filing of your tax return and choosing direct deposit may speed up your refund by 8 weeks.
Please keep in mind that in most cases, all tax forms are required to be filed by April 15th. Failure to do so may result in penalties. It is highly suggested that photocopies of all tax forms be kept, and any mailed documents should be sent by certified mail with return receipt requested.
Applying for a U.S. Social Security Number
In order to be eligible for a SSN (Card), F-1 students must have a job or job-offer on campus, and J-1s students must have a letter of affiliation/support from their J-1 Program Advisor.
F-1 and J-1 students/scholars may begin working while the application for an SSN is being processed by the Social Security Administration (SSA). They may not, however, receive income until SSN processing receipt and or SSN has been issued and processed by the Human Resources department of their respective employer.
Employers may wish to reference the SSA’s Fact Sheet, Employer Responsibilities When Hiring Foreign Workers, available at socialsecurity.gov. This fact sheet contains information on how to report wages for an employee who has not yet received an SSN.
Students must (in order)
- Obtain one of the following
- J-1: Letter of affiliation/support from J-1 Program Advisor
- Upload your completed “Request” form into our J-1 Employment Permission Box Folder
- See the last section of this webpage for more information
- F-1: Job offer letter on departmental letterhead from employing department
- The sample job offer letter may be copied onto letterhead. The job offer letter must be printed on the letterhead of the department/company which has made the job offer. The Social Security Administration has requested a job offer letter using the format below. If you would like a fill-in-the-blank version, you may click on the link above.
- A sample job offer letter may be copied onto letterhead. We do not have your department’s letterhead; your department will have it.
- J-1: Letter of affiliation/support from J-1 Program Advisor
- Once you have your Job Offer letter, please log into your isss.olemiss.edu portal account. Choose “control center” and then “Applying for a U.S. Social Security Number” Upload your job offer letter there so that our office can provide your Status Verification Letter.
- Print out or pick up Status Verification Letter from ISSS when notified via email.
- Copy immigration documents required (seen below)
- Apply in person at the Security Office in Tupelo, Mississippi
- The ISSS office has a Social Security Officer that comes to campus once a semester. Information about the visit will be sent out around the second week of classes.
As a caution when applying:
The social security office has gotten several emails from students because a student inadvertently gave the wrong address. The Social Security Office can’t reprocess those applications. If your address was wrong in your application, you will need to schedule an appointment in Tupelo to re-apply.
I have also heard from some students about Oxford Post Office being very strict. If the student’s name is not on the mail box they will not deliver the mail. The card will be sent back to the Tupelo central office and destroyed. Also, the Oxford Post Office will not deliver to a dorm hall.
If you do not have your receipt or card within 10 days, you can call 1-866-504-4267 to schedule an in-office appointment.
The following documents must be presented when applying for the SSN:
- Completed Social Security Application (Form SS-5)
- Original *and* Copy of your Passport Information Page
- Original *and* Copy of your Passport Visa Page
- Original *and* Copy of your immigration document (I-20/DS-2019)
- Copy of your (I-94 Arrival record)
- Job Offer Letter*
- Status Verification Letter (SVL) from ISSS
- F1: Please log into your isss.olemiss.edu portal account. Choose “control center” and then “Applying for a U.S. Social Security Number” Upload your job offer letter there so that our office can provide your Status Verification Letter.
- J1 only: Once you have your Job Offer letter, please update it to the SSN Box Folder so that our office can provide your Status Verification Letter.
Additionally, please note that the following statuses do not allow employment, thus preventing the issuance of a SSN: F-2, H-4, TD and B.
- You can apply for an SSN at the regional office of the SSA in Tupelo, Mississippi. The SSA office is open Monday- Friday from 9:00am-4:00pm. The SSA is closed for federal holidays.
- Contact Information:
- Social Security Administration – Regional Office 199 Saddle Creek Drive Tupelo, Mississippi 38801
- 1-866-504-4267
- www.ssa.gov
- A Social Security Administration officer will visit campus Thursday, January 30th from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. Students will have the opportunity to apply for an SSN on-campus during this time. We will share more information about this closer to the date of the visit.
Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers
Generally, all F-1 an J-1 visa holders and their dependents are required to file tax forms each year, whether or not they earned any income. When completing the tax forms, you are required to indicate your U.S. Social Security number. However, many individuals who hold other non-immigrant statuses are not eligible for social security numbers, since the issuance of Social Security numbers is tied to eligibility for employment authorization.
Therefore, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has created the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to be used by the limited number of non-U.S. citizen individuals who are not eligible for a Social Security number, but who have tax responsibilities. An ITIN is a nine-digit number that always begins with a 9 and has a 7 or 8 for the fourth digit; example: 9xx-7x-xxxx
The ITIN is for tax purposes only. It cannot be issued for other purposes, such as applying for a driver’s license or state ID card.
Requirements for application
Examples include:
- An F-1 student receiving a non-compensatory scholarship or fellowship grant who shows written proof that his or her application was rejected by the Social Security, or has a letter from the designated school official stating that he/she will not be securing employment while in the United States. In most cases on our campus this would apply to student athletes who have scholarships that pay for room and board. The University of Mississippi does not allow scholarship’s taxable amount to be posted to a student’s account until an ITIN or Social Security number has been obtained.
- An individual not eligible for a social security number but required to file a tax return to claim a refund of tax under the provisions of a U.S. tax treaty
- An individual not eligible for a Social Security number but who is the dependent child or spouse of a non-resident visa holder from Canada, Mexico, India, or Republic of Korea (these are the only countries that permit non-residents for tax purposes to claim spouses or children as dependents on their tax returns, based on the terms of the tax treaty with the United States.)
- An individual not eligible for a Social Security number who is a dependent or spouse of an individual who is a resident for tax purposes (once an F-1 student has been in that non-immigrant status for more than five years, that student becomes a resident for tax purposes and can claim their spouse and/or children as dependents on their U.S. tax return).
- An individual not eligible for a Social Security number but who has opened an account with a financial institution that generates income subject to either reporting or withholding
To apply for an ITIN, obtain form W-7 from the IRS
For individuals seeking an ITIN in order to file an income tax return, the W-7 must be filed along with the income tax return.
Student athletes seeking an ITIN in order to meet reporting or withholding requirements of The University of Mississippi will be advised by the student advisor at International Student and Scholar Services. If you are eligible to file for ITIN it takes four to six weeks to receive an ITIN decision.
Staff at International Student and Scholar Services are neither qualified nor permitted to give individual tax advice. Tax information is available only at tax workshops scheduled during the academic year.
Cost of Study
The University of Mississippi offers quality education at an affordable price. Academic journals and national publications frequently cite the University’s low tuition and bargain cost of living. In fact, the University of Mississippi was recently named one of the top 20 “Best Buy Colleges” in America’s prestigious Forbes magazine.
We recognize that the choice to study in the USA is not only an academic decision, but also a financial one, and that students and their families need to be aware of the associated costs of studying at the University of Mississippi, and in the U.S.
The tables below detail the total estimated costs of attendance for international students at the University of Mississippi, based on full-time enrollment (12 credit hours per semester for undergraduates; 9 credit hours per semester for graduate students except Law; 10 credit hours per semester for Law students) for the 2024-2025 academic year. Costs generally incur a slight increase each year.
2024-25 Undergraduate & Graduate (except MBA and Law)
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer | Total |
Base Tuition Fee | $4,806.00 | $4,806.00 |
| $9,612.00 |
Additional | $9,414.00 | $9,414.00 |
| $18,828.00 |
Other Miscellaneous Service/Health Fees | $111.00 | $55.00 | $166.00 | |
International Student Service Charge | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| $200.00 |
Housing | $4,500.00 | $4,500.00 | $1,300.00 | $10,300.00 |
Meals | $2,600.00 | $2,600.00 | $1,000.00 | $6,200.00 |
Books | $600.00 | $600.00 |
| $1,200.00 |
Health Insurance | $970.00 | $1,344.00 |
| $2,314.00 |
Yearly Total (in USD$) | $23,101.00 | $23,419.00 | $2,300.00 | $48,820.00 |
- The estimated costs of undergraduate study are based on minimum expenditures and present fees for 9 months of study and 12 months of living expenses of housing, meals, health insurance costs.
- Estimates do not include summer tuition or summer fees or inter session terms, as students are not required to attend summer sessions or inter sessions. Students who attend classes during the summer sessions and intersession terms will need to plan for additional costs.
- Estimates do not include clothing, travel, entertainment, holidays or miscellaneous expenditures.
- Fees are subject to change at any time.
- Arrangements should be made to have funds available at the time of registration for each semester or inter session.
- All fees are due upon receipt of the students Bursar Bill.
- Any balance remaining after this time will be assessed a monthly finance charge. Registration for future semesters will be prohibited until the balance is paid in full