Connecticut State Community College (CT State) has been awarded a $100,000 Accelerator Grant from the New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC) to strengthen transfer pathways and expand educational opportunities for students at York Correctional Institution.

CT State was one of four colleges across New England selected to receive funding through the competitive grant process, which supports innovative efforts to improve educational access and credit mobility for incarcerated learners. The proposal, developed in partnership with Wesleyan University, was selected by a panel of reviewers from across the region, including individuals who are currently incarcerated.

The grant will help CT State and Wesleyan strengthen educational opportunities at York Correctional Institution by expanding academic supports and creating more seamless pathways to certificate, associate and bachelor's degree completion.

“This grant builds on years of work by CT State, Wesleyan University and the Connecticut Department of Correction to expand access to higher education at York Correctional Institution,” said Teresa Foley, Ph.D., CT State director of non-traditional programs and partnerships. “Education gives individuals the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and confidence that can support successful reentry and long-term career goals. When students have access to meaningful educational opportunities, the benefits extend beyond the individual to families, employers and communities across Connecticut.”

Funding will support efforts to align CT State Three Rivers' marketing certificate program, CT State Middlesex's general studies associate degree and Wesleyan University's liberal studies bachelor's degree into a more coordinated educational pathway. By strengthening connections among the programs, students will have clearer opportunities to earn stackable credentials as they progress from certificate to associate and ultimately bachelor's degree completion.

“We are inspired by the students at York who have navigated an evolving landscape of educational opportunities—and, most recently, made history as the first women in Connecticut to earn bachelor’s degrees while incarcerated,” said Tess Wheelwright, director of the Center for Prison Education at Wesleyan University. “We’re glad to be strengthening coordination with our longtime partner and building more intentionally on our complementary credential offerings, so that all students at York have access to the academic resources, advising, and support they need to define and pursue their educational goals.”

The enhanced pathway also will give students greater flexibility to apply credits earned across participating programs toward a credential, regardless of where the coursework was completed. As a result, students who do not complete a bachelor's degree may still be able to earn a CT State degree or certificate that recognizes their academic progress.

The project will also fund 22 laptops at CT State Three Rivers and provide access to academic research materials, helping ensure all students have the technology needed to complete coursework and build workforce-ready skills. The investment will help ensure students have access to the same technology and digital tools that are now standard in higher education.

Students also will benefit from coordinated advising, tutoring, study halls, disability services and financial aid guidance. Additional funding will support opportunities for advanced students to serve as peer tutors, helping to strengthen the learning community while developing leadership and professional skills.

The project is particularly significant because it strengthens one of the few bachelor's degree pathways available to students in a women's correctional facility nationwide. Opportunities to earn bachelor's degrees while incarcerated remain limited, particularly for women. By expanding and coordinating educational opportunities at York Correctional Institution, Connecticut’s only correctional facility for women, the project helps address that gap.

The initiative also may serve as a model for collaboration among colleges and universities seeking to expand higher education opportunities within correctional facilities. Lessons learned through the project will be shared with state and regional partners as Connecticut and other New England states continue to strengthen postsecondary education opportunities for incarcerated learners.

The grant builds on CT State's broader commitment to higher education in correctional settings. Through spring 2026, CT State has extended educational opportunities to 2,024 incarcerated students across its Asnuntuck, Housatonic, Middlesex, Quinebaug Valley, and Three Rivers campuses, through partnerships with eight Connecticut correctional facilities. In June, CT State celebrated its largest graduating class of prison education graduates with 66 students in six correctional facilities earning 73 certificates or associate degrees.

About Connecticut State Community College

Established in 2023 upon the consolidation of the state’s 12 legacy community colleges, CT State is the largest community college in the Northeast and the fourth-largest public two-year college in the United States based on enrollment. With 12 campuses across Connecticut, students can apply once and take classes statewide, creating flexible and affordable pathways to degrees and workforce credentials. For more information, visit ctstate.edu.

About Wesleyan University's Center for Prison Education

Wesleyan University is dedicated to providing an education in the liberal arts that is characterized by boldness, rigor, and practical idealism. Wesleyan’s Center for Prison Education expands access to bold and rigorous liberal learning, creating transformative learning experiences and life-changing degree opportunities for students in Connecticut prisons. For more information, visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/cpe/

About the New England Prison Education Collaborative

The New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC) is a regional initiative directed by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE). In February 2024, NEBHE was awarded five years of grant funding from Ascendium Education Group to establish NEPEC in an effort to build upon the recommendations of the 2023 New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison, a nine-month regional convening of leaders from across multiple sectors aimed at preparing the region for the reinstatement of federal Pell Grant eligibility for all currently incarcerated learners.

Through NEPEC, NEBHE seeks to accelerate, support, and collaborate to realize a future in which every incarcerated person in New England has access to high-quality, workforce aligned postsecondary opportunities with a diverse range of educational pathways.