Pell Grants & College Classes for People in MDOC: What Families Should Know
College in prison is changing again. Here's what the Pell Grant update means, which schools are currently teaching inside MDOC facilities, and where to watch for program updates.
Pell Grants are back for incarcerated students. The U.S. Department of Education reinstated eligibility effective July 1, 2023, opening a funding path for more college programs inside prisons and making classes affordable for more students.
Key date: Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people was reinstated effective July 1, 2023.
MDOC lists four schools currently teaching at five locations. Hinds Community College teaches at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. Northeast Mississippi Community College teaches at Alcorn County Correctional Facility. Mississippi Delta Community College teaches at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Mississippi Valley State University teaches at Bolivar County Correctional Facility and at the Delta Community Work Center/Technical Violation Center/Restitution Center.
Note: This list reflects schools and locations MDOC currently identifies. Programs and partners can change, so check MDOC's post-secondary education information for the latest.
MDOC is actively seeking more college and university partners to offer post-secondary programs as approved Prison Education Programs (PEPs) under U.S. Department of Education Pell rules. The Workforce Development Division coordinates these partnerships through intergovernmental agreements with community colleges across the state.
Want to track what's available now or coming next? MDOC's post-secondary education information is the best place to look. The teaching partners and locations listed above (Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, Alcorn County Correctional Facility, Parchman, Bolivar County Correctional Facility, and the Delta Community Work Center/Technical Violation Center/Restitution Center) reflect agreements already in place.
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- ✓ Ask your loved one what program or school they are connected to (if any), and what credential they’re working toward
- ✓ Encourage consistency. Finishing a course is often more valuable than starting and stopping
- ✓ Keep a simple record on your end of classes completed, dates, and any school names mentioned, so you can help track progress over time
- ✓ Check MDOC’s post-secondary education information periodically for partner and program updates
Reminder: This page is general information, not official enrollment guidance. For program-specific questions, the most reliable answers will come from MDOC or the college named for that facility.
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