ITTA BENA, Miss. — has received approval from the U.S. Department of Education to continue its Prison Education Partnership Program (PEPP) under the revised Pell Grant guidelines for incarcerated students, expanding educational access and workforce preparation opportunities for justice-impacted individuals.
MVSU’s PEPP was originally approved in June 2022 through the federal Pell for Students Who Are Incarcerated Experiment and launched degree programs in Business Administration, Computer Science and Engineering Technology at Delta Correctional Facility and the Bolivar County Regional Correctional Facility in August 2022.
With the federal experimental initiative scheduled to conclude in June 2026, institutions participating in the program were required to either discontinue their prison education offerings or complete an extensive application process to continue under the revised Pell Grant framework for incarcerated students.
MVSU submitted its continuation application to the U.S. Department of Education in December 2025 and received approval in April 2026.
The university’s program also received prior approval from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
The initiative is supported through partnerships with the Mississippi Department of Corrections and the Bolivar County Regional Correctional Facility, both of which have played key roles in facilitating educational opportunities for incarcerated students.
Dr. Kathie Stromile Golden, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at MVSU, said the continuation of the program reflects the university’s commitment to educational equity and transformational learning opportunities.
“Our Prison Education Partnership Program embodies ’s mission of providing access, opportunity and hope through education,” Golden said. “This approval allows us to continue empowering students through academic achievement while helping create pathways toward personal growth, workforce readiness and successful reentry into society.”
Financial support and technical assistance for the program have been provided by the Mississippi Humanities Council, Jamii Sisterhood, Laughing Gull Foundation, Woodward Hines Education Foundation, the National Consortium for Higher Education in Prison and the Women for Higher Education in Prison Consortium.
University officials said the program aligns with MVSU’s longstanding commitment to service, educational advancement and community impact across Mississippi and beyond.
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, located in Itta Bena, Mississippi, is a historically Black university committed to academic excellence, leadership development and community service. Founded in 1950, the university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs designed to prepare students for success in a global society.