Mississippi Valley State University

*

Itta Bena, MS

University Website:  www.mvsu.edu/
Apply Online:  www.mvsu.edu/prospective_students/admissions/intent_to_enroll.php

Mississippi Valley State University (commonly referred to as MVSU) is a historically black university located in unincorporated Leflore County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta, near Itta Bena. MVSU is a member- school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The institution, which opened in 1950, was created by the Mississippi Legislature as Mississippi Vocational College. The legislation to form the institution was signed into law by Governor Thomas L. Bailey on April 5, 1946. The legislature anticipated that legal segregation of public education was in danger (and would in four years be declared unconstitutional in the United States Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education the institution, hoping that its existence would draw African-American applicants who might have otherwise applied to attend Mississippi's premier whites-only institutions—the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Creating separate institutions of higher learning for Mississippi's black population, the state's political leaders hoped, would help ease the pressure to integrate the state's premier universities. To attract the support of those who opposed any government action to provide higher education to blacks, those proposing creation of M.V.C. used the term "vocational" to imply that the institution's main purpose would be to train blacks to take on blue-collar jobs.

The site selection committee appointed by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning had originally selected the Greenwood Army Air Base, which had many facilities ready for use and thus would have been a very cost-effective choice. The Greenwood Commonwealth celebrated the choice. However, residents of Carroll County, Mississippi objected to having the institution located near their property. Thus after further study, the proposed site was moved to Itta Bena. Even that town, however, objected to too close a proximity of a black institution, so the final site was chosen to place the college away from the downtown area, on cheap, uncultivatable land.

In 1964, Mississippi Vocational College was renamed Mississippi Valley State College.

In February 1969, a nonviolent student boycott which included 800 students, male and female was organized to protest President White's administration of the institution. The students were demanding required courses in black history, more library purchases of works by black writers, remedial courses in English and Math, scheduling of prominent black speakers and fewer curfew restrictions.

In the early 1970s, civil rights leaders continued to protest the inequalities in higher education opportunities offered to whites and blacks in Mississippi. In an effort to defuse some of the criticism, Gov. [William Waller] proposed changing the names of three black institutions from "colleges" to "universities." Thus, in 1974, the institution was renamed again, as Mississippi Valley State University'.

Following President White, Dr. Earnest A. Boykins took office in July 1971. Dr. Joe L. Boyer became MVSU's third president in January 1982 and was followed by Dr. William W. Sutton in July 1988. Dr. Lester C. Newman became the fifth president of MVSU on July 1, 1998. Dr. Donna H. Oliver became MVSU's sixth president and first female president on January 1, 2009. Effective December 2012, the Mississippi IHL appointed Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr. as the Acting President of the University. []

In 1998, the university renamed many of the buildings on campus, except for the ones named after Sillers, Wright, and J. H. White.

* Description and images provided by Wikipedia under CC-BY-SA 3.0 license .

Mississippi Valley State University College Scholarships

Bullet name award deadline Link
 

McDonald's Black and Positively Golden Scholarship

Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Up to $15,000 April 25, 2025 See Details

Description

The McDonald’s Black and Positively Golden Scholarship is available to full - time undergraduate students attending TMCF - member HBCUs and Predominately Black Institutions. You must have a minimum 2.7 GPA and demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award.

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McDonald's Black and Positively Golden Scholarship

Thurgood Marshall College Fund

award

Up to $15,000

deadline

April 25, 2025
See Details

Description

The McDonald’s Black and Positively Golden Scholarship is available to full - time undergraduate students attending TMCF - member HBCUs and Predominately Black Institutions. You must have a minimum 2.7 GPA and demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award.

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Delta Community Credit Union HBCU Scholarship

Delta Community Credit Union

$5,000 April 30, 2025 See Details

Description

The Delta Community Credit Union HBCU Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students. You must be a resident of Georgia and be attending or accepted into an HBCU to be eligible for this award.

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Delta Community Credit Union HBCU Scholarship

Delta Community Credit Union

award

$5,000

deadline

April 30, 2025
See Details

Description

The Delta Community Credit Union HBCU Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students. You must be a resident of Georgia and be attending or accepted into an HBCU to be eligible for this award.

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Marki Lemons Ryhal Education Advancement Scholarship

Chicago Association of REALTORS

$500 June 01, 2025 See Details

Description

The Marki Lemons Ryhal Education Advancement Scholarship is available to African - American female students residing in underserved communities within the Chicagoland area. You must be pursuing a real estate license, OR be attending an HBCU or Chicago State University to be eligible for this award.

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Marki Lemons Ryhal Education Advancement Scholarship

Chicago Association of REALTORS

award

$500

deadline

June 01, 2025
See Details

Description

The Marki Lemons Ryhal Education Advancement Scholarship is available to African - American female students residing in underserved communities within the Chicagoland area. You must be pursuing a real estate license, OR be attending an HBCU or Chicago State University to be eligible for this award.

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Dr. May Hope Wilkins Legacy Scholarship

Dr. May Hope Wilkins Legacy Scholarship, Inc.

Up to $15,000 April 30, 2025 See Details

Description

The Dr. May Hope Wilkins Legacy Scholarship is available to HBCU undergraduate students. You must be majoring in the field of education to be eligible for this award.

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Dr. May Hope Wilkins Legacy Scholarship

Dr. May Hope Wilkins Legacy Scholarship, Inc.

award

Up to $15,000

deadline

April 30, 2025
See Details

Description

The Dr. May Hope Wilkins Legacy Scholarship is available to HBCU undergraduate students. You must be majoring in the field of education to be eligible for this award.

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Luther Vandross Foundation Scholarship

Luther Vandross Foundation

Up to $5,000 May 08, 2025 See Details

Description

The Luther Vandross Foundation Scholarship is available to full - time HBCU students. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award.

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Luther Vandross Foundation Scholarship

Luther Vandross Foundation

award

Up to $5,000

deadline

May 08, 2025
See Details

Description

The Luther Vandross Foundation Scholarship is available to full - time HBCU students. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award.

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Myra L. Austin Taylor Memorial Scholarship

The Dooley Foundation

$500 May 23, 2025 See Details

Description

The Myra L. Austin Taylor Memorial Scholarship is available to students who are currently attending or will attend an HBCU. You must be majoring in education / elementary education or be a current member of your institution's band, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and provide proof of 90 hours or more of community service to be eligible for this award. ...

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Myra L. Austin Taylor Memorial Scholarship

The Dooley Foundation

award

$500

deadline

May 23, 2025
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Description

The Myra L. Austin Taylor Memorial Scholarship is available to students who are currently attending or will attend an HBCU. You must be majoring in education / elementary education or be a current member of your institution's band, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and provide proof of 90 hours or more of community service to be eligible for this award. ...

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Feeder School Scholarship

Mississippi College School of Law

100% of tuition Varies See Details

Description

The Feeder School Scholarship is available to students entering Mississippi College School of Law. To be eligible, you must be graduating from one of the following schools: Jackson State University, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, Millsaps College, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, Tougaloo College,...

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Feeder School Scholarship

Mississippi College School of Law

award

100% of tuition

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The Feeder School Scholarship is available to students entering Mississippi College School of Law. To be eligible, you must be graduating from one of the following schools: Jackson State University, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, Millsaps College, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, Tougaloo College,...

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Valedictorian/Salutatorian Academic Scholarship - Mississippi Valley State University

Mississippi Valley State University

100% of tuition June 15, 2025 See Details

Description

The Valedictorian/Salutatorian Academic Scholarship is available to incoming freshman students at Mississippi Valley State University who have attained the honor of being the valedictorian or salutatorian of the their high school graduating class.

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Valedictorian/Salutatorian Academic Scholarship - Mississippi Valley State University

Mississippi Valley State University

award

100% of tuition

deadline

June 15, 2025
See Details

Description

The Valedictorian/Salutatorian Academic Scholarship is available to incoming freshman students at Mississippi Valley State University who have attained the honor of being the valedictorian or salutatorian of the their high school graduating class.

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Academic Transfer Scholarship - Mississippi Valley State University

Mississippi Valley State University

100% of tuition June 15, 2025 See Details

Description

The Academic Transfer Scholarship is open to entering transfer students at Mississippi Valley State University. You must have a minimum 3.25 GPA to be eligible for this award.

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Academic Transfer Scholarship - Mississippi Valley State University

Mississippi Valley State University

award

100% of tuition

deadline

June 15, 2025
See Details

Description

The Academic Transfer Scholarship is open to entering transfer students at Mississippi Valley State University. You must have a minimum 3.25 GPA to be eligible for this award.

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San Diego HBCU Scholarship

Restore, Uplift & Hope

Varies Varies See Details

Description

The San Diego HBCU Scholarship is available to high school seniors. To be eligible, you must be graduating from a San Diego County high school, have been accepted to a HBCU, and submit a 500 - word essay on the following topic: "Why I want to attend an HBCU."

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San Diego HBCU Scholarship

Restore, Uplift & Hope

award

Varies

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The San Diego HBCU Scholarship is available to high school seniors. To be eligible, you must be graduating from a San Diego County high school, have been accepted to a HBCU, and submit a 500 - word essay on the following topic: "Why I want to attend an HBCU."

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