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* We are 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 and conference programming will be shared in the coming months.
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.
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.
More information about the topic tracks and conference presentation formats are included in the Call for Proposals.
At NCHEP, you’ll connect with a dynamic field of educators, nonprofit leaders, practitioners, corrections professionals, and students—both currently and formerly incarcerated—who are leading the charge. This conference extends beyond academic frameworks to collaboratively build a future where the field of higher education in prison provides real hope and opportunity, and also drives real-world change at a time when the stakes have never been higher.
Join us in Cleveland, and together, we will expand and strengthen the network that ensures every learner has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their circumstances.
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We are offering a limited number of financial aid packages for NCHEP 15. We value our community’s attendance at our biggest event of the year and we encourage anyone who needs financial support to apply for full or partial aid.
Financial aid applications are due October 19th.
We are currently accepting presentation proposals for NCHEP 15 that address our conference theme and presentation topics and also provide practical, actionable solutions.
Presentation proposal submissions are due October 19th.
Our Call for Reviewers is now open! Help us review presentation proposals for NCHEP 15 by serving as a Reviewer.
All selected reviewers will receive up to 15 proposal submissions and review them based on a rubric provided by the Alliance. Please note that reviewers must be available to complete their reviews between October 20-31, 2025. All selected reviewers will also receive a $100 gift card as a token of appreciation upon the completion of assigned reviews.
While we welcome reviewers who are currently incarcerated, all reviews must be submitted through the Oxford Abstracts platform by the reviewer themselves or a proxy. For any additional questions about the review process, please contact the Planning Team at nchep@higheredinprison.org.
To apply to be an NCHEP 15 Reviewer, please complete the application by Friday, October 10th.
NCHEP 15 will be an in-person conference in Cleveland, Ohio, except for those who are currently incarcerated. Virtual attendance via Zoom will only be possible for currently incarcerated participants during selected events.
We know that travel isn’t possible for everyone, and we do our best to make our events as accessible and accommodating as we can. At this time, however, the audiovisual and staffing requirements for a hybrid conference make it cost-prohibitive. By focusing our resources on the in-person experience, we can keep the conference more affordable, provide some financial aid opportunities, and ensure high-quality programming for all attendees.
The NCHEP Planning Team will make every effort to support accommodation requests and the full participation of all attendees. You will be able to request accommodations during the registration process.
Registration for NCHEP 15 will open in late November 2025.
This year, we are working to accommodate many more attendees and hope that registration will not sell out as it has in previous years. That said, we encourage all those interested in attending to keep an eye on our updates and register as soon as possible.
Information about the registration fee for NCHEP 15 will be shared in the coming weeks – stay tuned!
We are encouraging attendees to consider arriving in Cleveland on April 7th to be able to attend pre-conference events and departing from Cleveland on April 11th.
In order to get the full conference experience, we recommend that you not travel on conference days.
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.
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A special thanks to our regular funders as well!
