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The Alliance for Higher Education in Prison is excited to announce the Call for Proposals for the 15th National Conference on Higher Education in Prison, which will take place on April 9-10, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio.
SUBMIT A PRESENTATION PROPOSALNCHEP 15 calls the higher education in prison field to move beyond celebrating entry points and toward examining the integrity, depth, and potential of education during incarceration. In this time of shifting policies, funding challenges, and evolving student needs, sustainability means more than survival; it must reflect equity, accountability, and long-term impact. This theme challenges us to consider how to build coordinated systems, scalable practices, and shared responsibility within and beyond the classroom.
Based on feedback from the community, the following represent the key topics we are looking to explore at NCHEP 15. We seek proposals that not only address these topics but also provide practical, actionable solutions.
Too many PEPs treat reentry support as peripheral rather than an integral component of the student experience. Sessions in this track will explore how to embed continuity of care, cross-institutional collaboration, and durable relationship structures into the DNA of their programs. How can we sustain meaningful educational momentum through reentry?
This track uplifts the leadership of currently and formerly incarcerated students in shaping not just their own education, but the future of higher education in prison. Sessions in this track will center student-led advocacy, governance roles (like advisory boards, steering committees, and alumni councils), student-focused funding models, or hiring practices that are welcoming to people with lived experience. Presentations may highlight how student power can be embedded into decision making to influence policy, guide institutional culture, and redefine what success looks like.
This track focuses on how prison education programs, corrections, higher education institutions, and oversight agencies can collaborate across state, regional, and national levels to move beyond compliance towards co-created standards connected to actual student experience. Sessions will address the importance of cross-system coordination and share strategies to formalize a continuum of support that connects policy, practice, and accountability.
What does a high-quality education look like in prison? This track explores how to define, assess, and sustain meaningful postsecondary learning behind bars—and how to design programs that go beyond compliance to achieve true educational excellence.
This track addresses access, inclusion, and the realities of education in carceral settings with diverse learning needs, including students with learning and physical disabilities. Topics could include trauma-informed and culturally responsive pedagogy, navigating accommodations, universal design, and supporting neurodivergent learners.
We would also like to invite prospective presenters to submit proposals on the following topics, which are fundamental to the field and relevant every year, regardless of the annual conference theme.
This track will focus on the essentials of building and sustaining higher education in prison programs. Sessions might address funding models, program design, cross-sector partnerships, or the practical and ethical dimensions of working in carceral settings.
This track will address funding challenges for HEP programs, from sustainability and resource allocation to partnerships and diversified revenue streams. It will also examine Pell reinstatement, including Best Interest Determination, admissions, site and data management, institutional collaborations, and the impact of new federal eligibility rules. How can we best navigate the new funding and Pell landscape to ensure stability and opportunity for students?
The conference structure and submission formats reflect this year’s theme and our commitment to make NCHEP a space of connection, collaboration, and knowledge creation and exchange, as well as of mutual support.
Presentations will take place in hour-long session blocks. All presentations at NCHEP 15 will be 40-45 minutes long, with up to 15-20 minutes of Q&A.
To accommodate a variety of approaches and encourage dynamic engagement, we are offering several presentation formats. We are especially hoping to offer more interactive workshop presentations this year. If you have a workshop proposal to submit, we would be excited to see it!
Each presentation proposal will be required to provide detailed written responses of up to 250 words on the following:
We encourage submissions from:
Because the conference is in person, all presenters are expected to attend on site. We also welcome the participation of currently incarcerated presenters, who may join virtually as part of a larger presentation team. We are only able to facilitate hybrid participation for currently incarcerated presenters.
Note: Registration will be held for all accepted presenters; however, the Alliance does not cover presenter registration fees. Presenters submitting proposals who need financial assistance to attend NCHEP are strongly encouraged to apply for Financial Aid by October 19, 2025.
