HLSCC Granted Accreditation for First Bachelor’s Degree
H. Lavity Stoutt Community College has received approval from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education to offer its first internationally accredited bachelor’s degree and to expand its accreditation scope to include distance education, Education Minister Honourable Sharie B. de Castro announced at the college’s graduation on June 11, 2026. The approval — which MSCHE records indicate covers a Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education — is expected to allow full teacher training in the Virgin Islands, reduce costs for students, and position HLSCC to attract learners from the wider region. The announcement also included plans to develop student dormitories and will enable the college to offer programmes remotely, a change that could broaden access beyond the Territory’s shores (reported by BVI News and confirmed by MSCHE records).
Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) marked a major step in its institutional development on Thursday, June 11, 2026, when Education Minister Honourable Sharie B. de Castro announced that the college had received approval to offer its first internationally accredited bachelor’s degree programme.
Speaking at HLSCC’s 33rd Graduation Ceremony at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex, de Castro called the moment “an auspicious occasion” and said, “For 36 years, this institution has prepared graduates for the future. Today, it graduates into its own.” The minister described the approvals as institutional transformation and said the changes would allow the college to extend its reach beyond the Virgin Islands (announcement reported by VINO and BVI News).
BVI News and Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) records indicate that the college has received MSCHE approval to offer a bachelor-level programme — specifically a Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education — in addition to its existing associate degree offerings.
VINO’s initial coverage described the new offering as a Bachelor of Arts in Education; both accounts were given during the graduation ceremony, and MSCHE documentation provides the programme-level detail. In addition to authorising the bachelor’s programme, the college has secured approval to expand its scope of accreditation to include distance education, BVI News reported.
That expansion will allow HLSCC to deliver accredited programmes online and to recruit students outside the Territory. De Castro said the approvals mean “HLSCC is no longer limited by geography” and announced preliminary plans to develop student dormitories as part of preparations to attract regional and international learners.
College and government leaders emphasised the practical benefits of the new degree for the Virgin Islands. Officials said the programme will allow aspiring teachers to complete their full training at home, removing the need to travel overseas for parts of their studies, reducing costs and disruption for students, and strengthening the Territory’s long-term teacher workforce.
HLSCC first received MSCHE accreditation in 2015 and had that accreditation reaffirmed in 2022 after a comprehensive review, BVI News noted — a process that helped prepare the institution for this latest expansion of scope and programme offerings. At the graduation ceremony, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D.
Wheatley announced that the HLSCC Board of Governors approved naming the Virgin Islands Studies Institute after the late Jennie N. Wheatley and dedicating the College’s Main Building in honour of Dr Charles H. A total of 217 students graduated; HLSCC President Dr Richard W. Georges called the event “a reflection of student achievement and institutional growth.” The ceremony featured a keynote address by The Right Honourable Dame Janice M.
Pereira, DBE, LLD, and graduate respondent D'Aunte Williams spoke on behalf of the class. College and government officials said the MSCHE approvals and the move into distance education could have far-reaching implications for higher education in the Territory by expanding professional training pathways locally and positioning the Virgin Islands as a destination for students across the region.
Primary source: VINO