FAITH Scholarship
State Rep. Bill Kinkade Fostering Access and Inspiring True Hope Scholarship
Program Overview:
Created by the Mississippi Legislature in 2022, the Representative Bill Kinkade Fostering Access & Inspiring True Hope (FAITH) Scholarship awards scholarships up to the full cost of attendance for current and former foster youth to attend college in Mississippi.
Rules and Regulations:
Important Dates:
- Application dates: There are no deadlines for FAITH, but the Mississippi Aid Application is only open from October 1- September 15 each year.
First-Time Applicants Must:
- Be a legal resident of the State of Mississippi for one year prior to application.
- Complete the Mississippi Aid Application (MAAPP) while the application is open for the appropriate academic year.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Be younger than 25 by October 1 of the aid year for which the applicant is applying.*
- Meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have been in legal custody of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (CPS) at any time since age 13.
- Have lived in a qualified residential living facility (Mississippi Baptist Children’s Village, Sunnybrook Children’s Home, or Berean Children’s Home) at any time since age 13.
- Have been adopted from the legal custody of CPS or a qualified residential living facility at any time since age 13.
- Enroll at least part-time (minimum 6 hours) at an approved postsecondary institution in Mississippi in a program of study leading to an undergraduate certificate or degree.
- Applicants should also apply through CPS for an Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) if eligible to apply.
*If the applicant was on active-duty status in the U.S. Armed Forces for any time before the applicant reached age 25, the number of months served on active-duty status will be rounded up to the next higher year to determine the maximum extension of age eligibility allowed.
Renewal Applicants Must:
- Continue to be a legal resident of the State of Mississippi.
- Complete the Mississippi Aid Application (MAAPP) while the application is open for the appropriate academic year.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Make satisfactory academic progress toward a certificate or degree with a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. Applicants cannot be on academic suspension.
- Enroll at least part-time (minimum 6 hours) at an approved postsecondary institution in Mississippi in a program of study leading to an undergraduate certificate or degree.
- Apply through CPS for an Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) if eligible to apply.
Award Amount:
- The annual award is equal to the student’s total Cost of Attendance (COA) less all other grant aid.
- Participants attending a private institution will receive an award amount equal to the average of the prior year’s published undergraduate COA of all public institutions less all other grant aid.
- The annual award includes any costs associated with housing during institutional holidays at the student’s institution if such accommodations are available and utilized.
Length of Eligibility:
- A maximum cumulative amount is not established, but a recipient may receive FAITH for a maximum of 5 calendar years.*
- FAITH Scholarships will be paid for no more than seventy-two (72) credit hours at a community college or one hundred forty-four (144) credit hours at a four-year college.
*If a recipient experiences a break in enrollment to serve on active-duty status in the United States Armed Forces, the number of months served on active-duty status in the United States Armed Forces will be rounded up to the next higher year to determine the maximum length of eligibility extension allowed.
(Note: No student may receive undergraduate grant aid through more than one state-supported undergraduate grant program in the same term of enrollment. If a student is eligible for aid through multiple grant programs, the student shall be awarded from the program that awards the larger sum.)
To Apply – New Applicants:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Complete the MAAPP. The online application must be completed each and every academic year for which the applicant seeks aid.
- Apply through CPS for an Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) if eligible to apply. Proof of this application will be automatically supplied by CPS.
To Apply – Renewal Applicants:
Renewal Applicants are applicants who have previously received an award through the program.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Complete the MAAPP. The online application must be completed each and every academic year for which the applicant seeks aid.
- Apply through CPS for an Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) if eligible to apply. Proof of this application will be automatically supplied by CPS.
