The 15th National Conference on Higher Education in Prison will take place April 9-10*, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio!!

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For the first time, NCHEP will be held in a convention center, opening doors for a new kind of conference experience.

The Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, OH will be the site of the majority of NCHEP programming. We will also be partnering with nearby hotels to offer NCHEP attendees discounted rates in conference room blocks. We highly recommend waiting to book your hotel room until registration opens so that you will have access to these discounted rates.

* We're also encouraging attendees to consider arriving in Cleveland on April 7th to be able to attend pre-conference events taking place April 8th. More information about the pre-conference will be shared in the coming months.

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Conference Theme

Beyond Access

NCHEP 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.

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Conference Topic Tracks

These are what rose to the top from the Field Survey - titles and language are still a work in progress!

• The Reentry Continuum
• Student Voice as Leadership
• Aligning Systems, Centering Students
• Justice by Design
• Inclusive and Adaptive Learning

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.

• HEP Foundations
• Funding and Pell Implementation

Final topic titles and full descriptions will be included in the Call for Proposals, which will open the week of September 1st.

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Timeline for NCHEP 15

Week of September 1, 2025: Call for Proposals opens
Week of September 1, 2025: Financial Aid applications open
October 19, 2025: Call for Proposals closes
October 19, 2025: Financial Aid applications close
Mid November 2025: Proposal accept/decline notifications sent
Mid November 2025: Financial Aid accept/decline notifications sent
Mid December 2025: Conference agenda announced
Mid December 2025 / Early Jan 2026: Registration opens
April 9-10, 2026: Conference

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Feeling nostalgic?

Check out our NCHEP Impact: Report from the NCHEP 14 Exit Survey, which underscores the significance of this convening.

Be sure to watch the video below of NCHEP highlights from New Orleans as well!

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More information will be shared on the website in the coming weeks.

Can't wait to see you in Cleveland in 2026!