Contact: Harriet Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s scholarship offerings continue to grow with the Luckyday Foundation of Jackson pledging to significantly increase its support of the university’s Luckyday Scholars Program.

For the fall 2022 semester, the Luckyday Foundation is boosting the program to 45 scholarships, an increase of 25 students above the 10 recipients in each of the 2021 and 2020 classes. The generous growth in support will continue to increase to 95 total scholarships for fall 2023, 160 scholarships for fall 2024, and in 2025, the Luckyday Foundation will provide funding for a total of 230 Luckyday scholars at MSU.  

“We are proud of the very productive partnership we have with the Luckyday Foundation as we work together to ensure that promising students have the resources they need to earn a college degree and develop valuable leadership skills. And now with this significant expansion, we can connect even more students with the financial and academic support they need,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “I am grateful for Luckyday’s investment in these young people through the Luckyday Scholars Program—it truly is an investment in a better and brighter future for all of us.”

Established by the late Frank R. Day of Jackson, the Luckyday Foundation offers scholarship funding to exemplary students who are poised to be future leaders and have a high level of community involvement. Applicant requirements include a 3.0 high school GPA and an interview process in which students must demonstrate extensive leadership skills, work ethic, and active school and community participation. Students selected for the program are awarded $6,000 per year for a total of $24,000 over four years.

“We are very pleased about expanding our relationship with Mississippi State University,” said Jamie Houston, Luckyday Foundation board chair. “Luckyday and MSU share a common vision of developing leadership skills and a strong commitment to community service in young people. By working together and leveraging our complementary strengths, we can ensure a brighter future for our Luckyday scholars, their communities, and our state and nation.”

Luckyday scholars experience continued growth and development in servant leadership, community support within their cohort and the program, and intentional programming with open dialogue on the responsibilities of servant leadership. The recipients commit to 10 hours of service each semester within one agency, exemplifying Luckyday’s core values of scholarship, community, service, and leadership.

For more information about the Mississippi State University Luckyday Scholars Program, please visit www.luckyday.msstate.edu.