Individuals incarcerated in S.C. Department of Corrections facilities will soon be able to receive bachelorâs degrees at no cost through a historic partnership with Claflin University.
In April 2020, Claflin University was selected as a U.S. Department of Education Second Chance Pell Experimental Site, which continues an initiative that began under President Barack Obama to help incarcerated individuals earn university credentials. Healthy Routines, a community-based nonprofit located in Columbia, is also participating in the program that will offer educational programming to incarcerated students.
âClaflinâs Pathway from Prison Program, Second Chance Pell Grant, and our Center for Social Justice all reflect Claflinâs deep and abiding commitment to expanding access to exceptional educational opportunities that can change the trajectory of peopleâs lives,â said Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, president of Claflin University. âItâs in our DNA. Claflin was founded as the first HBCU in South Carolina and the first institution of higher education in the state that welcomed all students regardless of ethnic origin, gender, race or religion. A quality education is the gateway to empowerment and plays a critical role in the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated people into their respective communities.â