Blog Content
April 30, 2025
The New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC), with support from Ascendium Education Group, announces the release of its Request for Proposals for the inaugural round of Accelerator Grants. Five Accelerator Grants will be awarded to eligible higher education institutions located across the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont to increase Pell-eligible prison education programming in their state.
Grant recipients will develop or expand programs, build partnerships, increase access to Pell funding, and support reentry efforts for students transitioning back to campus and home. Pell Grants, which were reinstated for use in federally approved Prison Education Programs in 2023, are granted by the US Department of Education to individuals who demonstrate financial need.
“NEPEC’s Accelerator Grants are a vital opportunity for institutions to not only expand access to Pell-eligible education but also to drive systemic change within the higher education in prison landscape,” said Molly Lasagna, Senior Strategy Officer for Incarcerated Learner Initiatives at Ascendium. “By supporting institutions in building and scaling effective programs, the Accelerator Grants will help break down barriers to education and create lasting pathways for incarcerated individuals to experience upward mobility and transform their lives.”
The New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC) is a five-year grant-funded initiative supported by Ascendium to implement recommendations from the 2023 New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison. This initiative, under the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), works to achieve this impact by engaging a diverse array of regional stakeholders through state strategic planning, workshops, and subgrants.
In its first year, NEPEC will award five Accelerator Grants to eligible higher education institutions located across New England. Applicants are asked to submit proposals for $100,000 of funding for use over 12 months. Future cycles of Accelerator Grants will be released in the same time frame in 2026 and 2027. The Accelerator Grant proposal criteria were developed by NEPEC and its Higher Education Working Group, whose members have substantial national and regional expertise in higher education in prison.
“With tight budgets and immense demands on staff time, it can be incredibly difficult to build momentum for expansions of postsecondary programming in carceral facilities—even when the need is great and the will to do so is strong,” said Sarah Kuczynski, NEPEC’s Director. “The hope is that these Accelerator Grants provide New England institutions looking to increase their impact in this space with a mechanism to move the work forward in meaningful ways.”
Eligibility
Eligible institutions include any public or independent higher education institution in New England that seeks to carry out one of the five approved activities:
Proposals will need to demonstrate how funds will accelerate the institution’s progress towards one of the above activities and outline a sustainability plan for long-term success.
Timeline
The application for proposals is now open. 5 P.M. EDT on June 6, 2025, is the deadline to apply. For more information on the application process, institutions are encouraged to join the NEPEC team for an informational webinar on May 6, 2025, at 3 P.M. EDT. Register here. For additional inquiries, please email nepecATnebheDOTorg.
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About NEPEC
The New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC), under The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), was established in 2024 with a five-year grant from Ascendium Education Group to implement the 2023 New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison’s recommendations and prepare for the reinstatement of federal Pell Grants for incarcerated learners. NEPEC aims to accelerate and support efforts to ensure all incarcerated individuals in New England have access to high-quality, workforce-aligned, equitable postsecondary education. Stay updated about NEPEC’s work at higher-education-in-prison and follow them on LinkedIn.
About NEBHE
Founded in 1955 by six visionary New England governors who recognized that the region’s future prosperity depended on higher education, the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) has since worked to promote greater educational opportunities across New England. Today, NEBHE serves the residents of New England and over 250 colleges and universities, advancing equitable postsecondary outcomes through convenings, research, and programs for students, institutional leaders, and policymakers. Stay updated on NEBHE’s work online at www.nebhe.org and on LinkedIn.
About Ascendium Education Group
Ascendium Education Group® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization driven by the belief that learning after high school gives people the power to build better futures. Our national philanthropy focuses on increasing opportunities for learners from low-income backgrounds to achieve upward mobility through postsecondary education and workforce training. We partner with organizations whose objectives align with our core strategies to expand opportunity, support learner success, and connect and align systems. Our grantees include postsecondary education and workforce training providers, intermediaries, researchers, and media organizations from across the U.S. To learn more, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org.