Ashland begins semester for 1,000 incarcerated students

In partnership with tech company JPay, Ashland University recently began a new academic year with 1,040 incarcerated students who are able to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees during their time in prison through the Second Chance Pell Grant pilot program.
 
"We are privileged to continue to offer the hope and promise of education to inmates thanks to this program," Ashland University President Carlos Campo said. "Ashland University is grateful for a technology partner like JPay, because we can achieve far more together. We look forward to continued collaboration and innovation that improves outcomes for these students and our communities as well."
 
The incarcerated students are able to complete coursework and converse with professors through JPay’s Lantern program, which is a free, table-driven Learning Management System. This semester saw 840 new inmates enroll in the program that offers more than 400 courses for them to complete their undergraduate degrees over a 10-semester program.
 
"We partnered with Ashland University two years ago on a mission to make free inmate education a reality, and today our technology is making it possible for numerous inmates to use their time served to earn a college education – bettering their lives and impact on the community," JPay Chief Operating Officer Annette Chambers-Smith said. "All the work we put into Lantern is worth it, now it's up to the inmates to do the work and earn their degrees."