Education gives inmates a second chance to meaningfully contribute to society

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Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Education announced that 67 colleges and universities in 27 states — including the University of Maine at Augusta — had been selected to take part in the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative. The goal of the pilot program was to test whether a greater number of people in prison would participate in high-quality education programs if they had greater access to financial aid to pay for such programs.

Initial results suggest the pilot is working. Since Second Chance Pell launched, 954 credentials, including certificates, associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees, have been awarded to students in prison thanks to expanded access to postsecondary education financial assistance. Here in Maine, we have awarded 72 degrees to date: 67 to incarcerated individuals at the Maine State Prison, four at the Women’s Reentry Center and one so far at the Maine Correctional Center.

Read the full article at the BDN site.

 

Stipends available for Veterans

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Are you a veteran either currently enrolled in college, or looking to go back to college? There’s a new Veteran’s Upward Bound (VUB) program available at the University of Southern Maine (USM) designed to help deal specifically with the issues of Veterans and postsecondary education. (FYI, you don’t have to be enrolled or looking to be enrolled at USM.)

This summer, they are running a Summer Bridge program for Veterans, and participants who complete the program will receive a $120 stipend.

Veteran’s Upward Bound Participant Application

Bridge Program Flyer

For more information on VUB, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter,@vubmaine, or call them at (207)780-4627.