URIDA lists 65 programs for people in Mississippi: 54 from government agencies, 11 from nonprofits, foundations, utilities and other private groups. Each one was checked against its official page. Some serve only part of the state, and dates and rules change, so look on the official page before you apply.
URIDA is not a government agency. Each program's operator takes applications and decides eligibility.
Rules and ways to apply show what the official pages name, and there can be others. Words in quotation marks are copied from the official page. FPL means the federal poverty level.
Run by Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Economic Assistance Eligibility
Who it is for
Mississippi, through local agencies in 39 counties: people who typically qualify are age 60 or older and have an income that is at or below 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.
Senior meal programs - Congregate Meals and Home Delivered Meals (SMPDD Area Agency on Aging)
Run by Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District (SMPDD)
Who it is for
Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Stone and Wayne Counties (Mississippi): congregate meals for age 60 or older or an eligible person's spouse; home delivered meals need a level II score of 22 or above.
Run by Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS)
Who it is for
Mississippi residents: households categorically eligible through SNAP, TANF, SSI, Medicaid or CSFP, or by self-declaration that household income falls below 185 percent (185%) of the poverty income level.
Mississippi, in eligible areas: US citizens with household income below 80% of median income adjusted for family size, who have not owned or had an interest in a principal residence within the past three years; home must serve as primary residence.
Jackson, Mississippi: people experiencing homelessness, e.g., men 18 and older (Billy Brumfield House), homeless women and women with children (Matt’s House), and individuals and families experiencing homelessness (Housing Assistance)
Entergy Mississippi customers in households with adults aged 60 years and older/individuals with disabilities who meet 150% to 200% of the federal poverty level.
Alcohol and Drug Services (DMH Helpline 1-877-210-8513)
Run by Mississippi Department of Mental Health (Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services)
Who it is for
Individuals in Mississippi (the public system of substance use assessment, referral, prevention, treatment, and recovery support services); Adolescent IOP is for adolescents ages 12-18.
Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)
Who it is for
Children and youth with special health care needs from birth to 21 years of age; must be a Mississippi resident; must have an eligible special health care need (e.g., blood, cardiac, genetic, neurological, orthopedic disorders); must complete an Intake Assessment annually.
Owners of unclaimed money held by the Mississippi State Treasury (money financial institutions turn over to the state after five years of inactivity), their legal heirs, and businesses; unclaimed property is money or stock, not land or houses.
Victim Compensation Program (Mississippi Attorney General's Office, Bureau of Victim Assistance)
Run by Office of the Attorney General (Mississippi), Bureau of Victim Assistance (BOVA)
Who it is for
Statewide (Mississippi): innocent victims of violent crime and their eligible family members, for crime-related expenses not covered by any other benefit source (insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, disability/death benefits, Workers' Compensation, etc.); limitations do apply.
Most working Mississippians injured on the job (employers with five (5) employees regularly employed must provide coverage; domestic and farm labor, certain non-profit employees, federal employees and independent contractors are ordinarily excluded unless covered voluntarily)
Mississippi Action for Progress (MAP) Head Start / Early Head Start
Run by MS Action for Progress, Inc. (Mississippi Action for Progress, MAP)
Who it is for
Families near MAP Head Start/Early Head Start centers listed by county: in Mississippi, centers in Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Holmes, Montgomery, Webster, Adams, Amite, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Pike, Walthall, Wilkinson, Harrison and Stone counties (the list also has Jefferson County, Alabama)
Resource & Referral Centers (MS LIFT child care resource and referral)
Run by Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Early Childhood Care & Development
Who it is for
Parents and child care providers around the state of Mississippi; centers are listed by county (e.g., Adams, Hinds, Harrison, Lee, DeSoto) plus MSU Extension Mobile R&R units.
Approved WIOA Programs (WIOA job training through Individual Training Accounts)
Run by Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Who it is for
Mississippi adults (18 years of age or older, a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen, in compliance with Selective Service registration), dislocated workers, and youth 18 to 21 years of age, low income, with at least one of six barriers to employment.
WIN Job CentersMississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES); checked November 11, 2026
Education and tuition (3)
Adult Education / High School Equivalency (Skill UP Mississippi)
Run by Mississippi Community College Board, Office of Adult Education
Who it is for
Mississippi adults; programs by county/district are listed (e.g., Hinds Community College, Coahoma Community College, Pascagoula Adult Learning Center), including preparation for High School Equivalency (HSE) pathways: GED, HiSET, and CBHSE.
Run by Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid
Who it is for
Legal residents of Mississippi for one year prior to application, enrolled full-time at an approved Mississippi postsecondary institution for a first certificate/associate's/bachelor's degree, eligible for less than the maximum Federal Pell Grant, with a 2.5 GPA (and ACT 15 for entering freshmen)
Home and Community-Based Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (CMPDD)
Run by Central Mississippi Planning and Development District (CMPDD)
Who it is for
Hinds, Madison, Rankin, Warren, Yazoo, Copiah, and Simpson Counties, Mississippi: be 21 years of age or older; receive SSI or have monthly income not exceeding 300% of the SSI income limit; score 50 or higher on the LTSS InterRAI tool; meet nursing facility level-of-care criteria.
Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS) - How We Help
Run by Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS)
Who it is for
Mississippians with disabilities: people who think their legal rights have been violated because of a disability, or who know of abuse or neglect of a person with a disability; DRMS intake decides if a case meets its criteria.
Run by Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services
Who it is for
Individuals with disabilities (Treasury: 'ABLE accounts are savings accounts for individuals with disabilities'); contributions can be made to an account by anyone and may qualify for a state tax deduction.
Run by Mississippi Veterans Affairs (Mississippi VA)
Who it is for
Veterans who served active duty and were not discharged under dishonorable conditions, or a spouse of a veteran who is currently a resident; must be or have been a Mississippi resident (a non-resident may be admitted if no Mississippi resident is waiting); medical exam within 30 days of admission.
Veterans Benefits Specialists and county service officers (Mississippi VA)
Run by Mississippi VA (Mississippi Veterans Affairs), Main Office/HQ
Who it is for
Mississippi veterans; state Veterans Benefits Offices are listed for the Northern and Southern Districts, VA Medical Center, military locations (e.g., Keesler Air Force Base, Camp Shelby), and county service officers are listed by county.
MIRA Legal Project (Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance)
Run by Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA)
Who it is for
Immigrants and their families in Mississippi; the Legal Project does not handle cases in which a person is detained or in jail, and no longer handles detention and/or removal cases in the Immigration Courts.
Mississippi Center for Legal Services (free civil legal assistance)
Run by Mississippi Center for Legal Services Corporation
Who it is for
Central and southern Mississippi: eligible low income persons within a forty-three (43) county service area; financial eligibility is based on income of all persons who are resident members of the household.
Lifeline Assistance Program (Mississippi Public Utilities Staff page)
Run by Mississippi Public Utilities Staff
Who it is for
Low-income households with income 135% or less of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or with someone participating in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits; one Lifeline discount per household.
Mississippi Relay Equipment Distribution Program (MREDP)
Run by Mississippi Relay program
Who it is for
Mississippi state residents who are Hard of Hearing, Deaf, Speech Disabled or DeafBlind, certified by a licensed physician, speech-language pathologist, or other qualified professionals.
Mississippi APEX Accelerator Program (Mississippi Development Authority)
Run by Mississippi Development Authority, Minority and Small Business Development Division
Who it is for
Mississippi business owners only ('provides services to only Mississippi business owners'), through regional centers in Gulfport, Columbus, Cleveland, Meridian and Jackson, with satellite offices in Tupelo and Hattiesburg.
Mississippi disaster areas: low-income households with food loss or damage caused by a natural disaster; D-SNAP is primarily for non-SNAP clients impacted by the storm.
Mississippi individuals, households, and businesses recovering from disaster or emergency impacts (residents of impacted areas after a severe weather event)