Virginia Prison Education Program

Education Transforms Lives

Overview

University of Virginia’s Virginia Prison Education Program brings high quality education, and the chance to complete a bachelor’s degree, to individuals incarcerated in the Virginia Prison system. 

Education is transformational, and for incarcerated individuals, it offers greater post-release employment opportunities, higher earning potential, upward mobility, and lower rates of returning to prison. 

(Source: When You Learn, you Don’t Return, The Progressive Magazine, 2022)

The Virginia Prison Education Program is made possible by a $350,700 grant from Ascendium Education Group, a 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to helping learners from low-income backgrounds achieve their academic and career goals. We are proud to be Virginia’s first public university that provides incarcerated individuals with the ability to complete a bachelor’s degree because we believe in the power of education. 

Through our program, incarcerated individuals at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women who have completed their associate degree through Piedmont Virginia Community College and who meet the competitive admissions requirements for the University of Virginia and the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program can continue their education and complete a bachelor’s degree. We envision expanding this offering to additional Virginia correctional facilities in the future. 

Mission and Vision

The Virginia Prison Education Program speaks to the heart of the UVA School of Continuing and Professional Studies’ mission as well as that of the greater University. By expanding access to affordable and achievable education, we are helping to develop the “full potential of talented students from all walks of life.” 

Impact

Education transcends that which divides us. Through UVA’s Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree with a concentration in liberal arts, students broaden their world view while improving life skills like critical thinking, communication, problem solving, teamwork, time management and confidence. 

By offering the opportunity for incarcerated individuals to expand upon their associate degree and complete a bachelor’s degree, we allow an opportunity to: 

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• Improve prison culture and climate
• Increase post-release employment rates
• Increase earning potential
• Increase upward mobility
• Reduce recidivism 

How Virginia Prison Education Program Works

University of Virginia’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies has delivered the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree since 1999, with over 1,000 working adults having successfully completed the program. Rooted in the UVA liberal arts tradition, the degree offers a broad education across history, literature and writing, with the opportunity for Virginia Prison Education Program students to concentrate in liberal arts. 

While our Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree program is typically delivered online, Virginia prison systems currently require courses to be delivered entirely in-person and without technology. Driven by their passion, our staff and volunteers are committed to ensuring all students have access to high-quality, engaging courses regardless of delivery. 

Our Community

Our Team

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Our Partners

Ascendium Education Group: a 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to helping learners from low-income backgrounds achieve their academic and career goals, Ascendium Education Group has truly made the Virginia Prison Education Program possible through a $350,000 grant to UVA's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. 

Piedmont Virginia Community College: with a long history of delivering a pathway to an associate degree in the Virginia Prison System, Piedmont Virginia Community College is paving the way for education, and incarcerated individuals will enter our bachelor's degree completion program with an associate degree from PVCC. 

Virginia Department of Corrections: an institutional partner, authorizing and supporting the college to operate an accredited degree program within its facilities.

Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women: collaborates as a partner institution, allowing UVA's Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree program to be offered on site.

The Virginia Consensus for Higher Education in Prison: by engaging stakeholders from a variety of sectors, including corrections, higher education, justice-impacted, faith, business/employers, and public officials in a process of consensus-building and strategic planning to expand access to college degree programs for incarcerated individuals in Virginia prisons. 

The Virginia Higher Education for Incarcerated Students Consortium: this strategic statewide multi-agency initiative aligns key stakeholders and resources through cross-sector collaboration to build an equitable, cohesive, and scalable system for delivering postsecondary education to incarcerated learners in Virginia.

How to Get Involved 

If you’re interested in supporting the Virginia Prison Education Program, please contact Amanda Lloyd by email: fzk3ud@virginia.edu. 

Donate

The Virginia Prison Education Program (VPEP) Fund provides vital support for bringing University of Virginia educational opportunities to incarcerated students across the Commonwealth. Gifts to this fund strengthen and sustain high-quality instruction in correctional facilities, expand access to the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program, and help reduce barriers to participation. Contributions may be used to advance teaching and learning resources, support faculty and instructional needs, develop new program initiatives, and create scholarships that open doors for students committed to transforming their lives through education.

With questions or for additional information, please contact Director of Development, Jessica Robertson by email: jhl5he@virginia.edu. 

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