COCC’s new associate degree program at Deer Ridge state prison in Madras is a pioneer for Pell Grant approval

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Central Oregon Community College recently received Pell Grant certification from the U.S. Department of Education for its newly designed associate degree prison education program at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras — one of several such programs in the entire country, and the first in Oregon to earn that distinction.

The certification will allow adults in custody pursuing an associate of arts Oregon transfer degree at COCC, which received accreditation last December, to apply for Pell Grant support. Congress last year lifted a 26-year ban on Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals, and in July of 2023 the new grant eligibility took effect, with higher education prison programs nationwide able to apply for certification.

“To our knowledge, we are the third school in the nation to receive this approval,” said Tony Russell, instructional dean at COCC. “We’ve been working on FAFSA (federal student aid) forms at Deer Ridge, so we’ll be able to offer Pell to eligible adults in custody in the fall.” 

The first cohort of associate degree-focused students at Deer Ridge, 18 in all, began their first term of classes last April. More than 40 individuals applied to be in the program, one of only four such prison-based, degree-oriented programs in the state.

Earlier this year, COCC was invited to be a program member of the national Bard Prison Initiative Consortium for Liberal Arts in Prison — the first community college to be invited to join this community of practice — alongside e partners like Yale, Boston College and Grinnell, working toward a rigorous, equitable foundation of education.

“Our degree-based program aims to offer three courses per term, starting with writing, communication and college success,” explained COCC biology professor Emma Chaput, who launched the program and serves as its lead. “The goal is for students to be able to achieve an associate degree in as little as three years.”

The program has its own dedicated classroom with a library space, creating a micro-campus atmosphere. “Having this Pell Grant status will help ensure that this becomes an attainable path for so many individuals looking to change their lives,” added Chaput.

For more information, contact Emma Chaput at echaput@cocc.edu or 541-383-7291.