Higher Education Program Consulting and Management Services

The Missouri Department of Corrections, Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services, is requesting proposals for higher education program consulting and management services across nineteen correctional facilities statewide, with proposals due August 26, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time. A pre-proposal teleconference was held August 10, 2026, and non-mandatory facility tours were offered August 11–12.

The contractor must be an accredited institution of higher learning recognized by the Higher Learning Commission and Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development with a minimum of ten years' experience providing higher education programming, preferably including at least one year in correctional settings. The scope encompasses administrative oversight of degree-seeking associate and bachelor programs delivered through partnerships with eight existing college and university partners, including Lincoln University, Washington University, and St. Louis University. The contractor manages student applications, FAFSA assistance, course enrollment, student call-outs, material inventory, and graduation events across all nineteen facilities spanning minimum-, medium-, maximum-, and diagnostic-security levels. The contractor must serve a minimum of 1,500 and maximum of 2,500 student offenders annually.

Key personnel include a Contract Manager with five years' relevant experience and a bachelor's degree, and Program Directors with three years' higher education experience assigned to one or more facilities or pairs of facilities within 50 miles. Pricing is firm and fixed as specified in the proposal, with quarterly invoicing and payment due within 30 calendar days. The state provides classroom space, utilities, designated computers, telephone access, and security; the contractor furnishes all other materials, labor, equipment, and supplies. The contractor must maintain comprehensive liability insurance naming the state as additional insured, comply with E-Verify and all federal and state employment laws, and adhere to security protocols and Prison Rape Elimination Act standards applicable to correctional facilities. No incumbent contractor exists for these services. The contract period runs from the effective date through June 30, 2029, with two optional one-year renewal periods under the same terms and conditions. The state reserves the right to terminate for convenience with thirty days' notice or for breach.