Beyond access. Improving credit mobility to advance student success in prison education programs. October 22, 2026 Beyond Transfer Transfer remains all too difficult for the average student to navigate. Still, those who learn within carceral facilities can face a unique set of additional challenges when it comes to getting their earned credits to apply to a meaningful credential. As was recently outlined in a June 2026 Inside Higher Ed column, there are complex operational challenges that make it difficult for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated learners and academic record keepers like registrars alike. Such challenges are compounded by the way curriculum has historically been developed for higher education-in-prison programs, the way collaboration across programs has often been stymied by the necessity for program leaders to compete for resources such as funding and facility access, and the way a student's access to postsecondary programming tends to depend upon their assignment to a particular correctional facility. The lack of continuity of program provision at women's facilities can often make it even more challenging for learners to earn postsecondary credentials. Without greater coordination across programs and institutions, incarcerated students may accumulate substantial college credit without a clear route toward a credential. At a recent graduation for one of the grantees profiled in this piece, an associate degree graduate illustrated the challenge: After years of taking courses from multiple colleges and before entering the grantee's coordinated degree pathway, she joked that she "probably had enough credits for a Ph.D. at this point." The lack of continuity of program provision at women's facilities can often make the problem even more challenging for learners to earn postsecondary credentials." The July 2023 reinstatement of Pell Grants for incarcerated learners has presented the higher education-in-prison field with an opportunity to intentionally build out and refine programming to improve credit mobility for currently and formerly incarcerated learners in exciting ways, as detailed in a 2024 Inside Higher Ed column. Federal regulations governing prison education programs (PEPs) require a minimum standard of transferability to at least one other institution in the state. At the same time, the reinvestment of federal financial aid has encouraged more institutions to enter the space and prompted existing programs to be more intentional about curriculum, given students' limited Pell eligibility and the short window they often have to complete credentials while incarcerated. Supporting credit mobility for incarcerated learners. In its second round of Accelerator Grant funding, the New England Board of Higher Education is supporting institutions seeking to improve or construct credit-mobility pathways that advance student success in PEPs. This work is part of NEBHE's New England Prison Education Collaborative, a five-year, grant-funded initiative supported by Ascendium Education Group to implement the recommendations from the 2023 New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison. This initiative works to engage a diverse array of regional stakeholders through state strategic planning, workshops and subgrants. The request for proposals was released on April 30 and was open to postsecondary institutions in all six New England states with an approved PEP program. Four institutions - one in Connecticut, two in Massachusetts and one in New Hampshire - were each awarded one-year, $100,000 grants to support a credit mobility-focused project. As part of their application, the four recipients detailed actionable project plans and submitted documentation of correctional leadership support. The grantees operate in different carceral contexts that influence their approach to tackling the credit-mobility challenges facing the students they serve. In Connecticut, Connecticut State Community College, in partnership with Wesleyan University, will strengthen coordination across their complementary offerings, creating clearer pathways from certificate to associate and bachelor's degree completion. Building on CT State and Wesleyan's decades-long partnership at the York Correctional Institution, the project will expand coordinated advising, increase access to laptops and academic research materials, and strengthen credit mobility and reverse-transfer opportunities so students can meaningfully apply credit from coursework completed across participating programs. Through its Future of Work Institute, Massasoit Community College in Massachusetts will use its Accelerator Grant funds to create a 2+2 transfer pathway with Bridgewater State University at Old Colony Correctional Center, expanding access to bachelor's degree pathways for incarcerated students in the commonwealth. The initiative will align curriculum, streamline credit transfer and provide coordinated advising to support seamless transition from Massasoit's liberal arts studies associate degree to workforce-aligned bachelor's programs in fields accessible to those with a criminal record. Middlesex Community College will offer the community leadership certificate - a credential with a work-based learning component - to students at Middlesex House of Correction. As with their entrepreneurship certificate, this credential will be delivered on-site at MHoC and earned directly as MCC coursework. The work-based learning component will be developed with UTEC in Lowell, Mass., and adapted for correctional settings. Editor's picks. Building on UTEC's existing on-site presence at MHoC, students will fulfill this component while still incarcerated, co-facilitating support groups or serving as peer mentors under UTEC supervision, removing one of the most significant barriers justice-impacted students face: completing work-based learning while confined. MCC will also train staff and faculty on transcript evaluation and credit for prior learning practices, ensuring consistent evaluation of coursework and helping students carry momentum from certificate completion into degree-seeking status. In New Hampshire, White Mountains Community College will establish two new 2+2 transfer pathways with the University of New Hampshire at Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility. The pathways will enable students to transition from WMCC programs into bachelor's degrees in business management and human services at UNH. This will be the first opportunity for incarcerated individuals to access baccalaureate-level programming in facilities in New Hampshire. Advancing research on credit mobility. While the Accelerator Grant projects work to improve educational pathways for learners in these three states, the NEPEC team at NEBHE has also launched a first-in-the-nation qualitative research study to better understand the specific experiences of credit transfer for formerly incarcerated learners in New England. Through a survey and series of interviews of formerly incarcerated students and a select number of New England-based experts on credit mobility, the study aims to illuminate ways to improve credit mobility for currently and formerly incarcerated learners in New England and, hopefully, nationwide. The white paper is expected to be released in the spring of 2027. For more info on NEPEC's credit-mobility work, reach out to [email protected]. Sarah Kuczynski is the director of the New England Prison Education Collaborative at the New England Board of Higher Education, where she is leading NEBHE's NEPEC initiative to strengthen, expand and coordinate higher education in prison across the six New England states. Zeia Fawaz is the senior manager of research and strategy on the NEPEC team at NEBHE, where she leads NEPEC's research projects and supports overall initiative strategy. Quinn Barton is the senior coordinator of communications and events on the NEPEC team, where she leads the team's internal and external communications, event planning, and project coordination.

Bridgeport Public Schools students begin college-level studies in Public Health. Eleven Bridgeport students begin college coursework through Connecticut State Community College, creating new pathways to careers in public health Bridgeport Public Schools is celebrating 11 Biotechnology students who began classes on September 10 as college students in Connecticut State Community College's Public Health Associate Degree program. The inaugural cohort includes students in grades 10, 11, and 12 who are taking an important step toward exploring careers in public health while still in high school. The program provides students with an opportunity to begin college-level studies in a growing field focused on protecting and improving the health and well-being of communities. Through coursework in public health, students can build foundational knowledge and explore career pathways in areas such as community health, health education, environmental health, and health policy. The Public Health Associate Degree program at Connecticut State Community College was launched with support from a $4.2 million state grant through the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The funding supports efforts to strengthen Connecticut's public health workforce and expand educational opportunities for students pursuing careers in the field. The program represents an important opportunity for Bridgeport students to connect their interests in biotechnology and science with real-world applications in public health. By beginning college coursework while still in high school, students can explore future career opportunities, develop valuable skills, and take meaningful steps toward continued education and professional success. Bridgeport Public Schools congratulates all 11 students on this milestone and looks forward to following their progress as they continue their studies. Their participation reflects the importance of providing students with opportunities to pursue rigorous academic experiences, explore career pathways, and prepare for success beyond high school. Congratulations to its inaugural cohort of Biotechnology students on this exciting achievement!