Twenty-four students graduate SCC program
January 15, 2026 (Lincoln, Neb.) – Twenty‑four individuals at the Nebraska State Penitentiary (NSP) earned Southeast Community College (SCC) degrees and certificates during a January 13 graduation ceremony. The event brought together the graduates’ families, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) leaders and SCC Board of Governors, president, administrators, and faculty. The ceremony featured remarks from four graduates, and three students graduated with distinction and four with high distinction.
Beginning in the spring 2024 semester, NDCS partnered with SCC to expand access to higher education across five NDCS facilities/locations through SCC’s prison education initiative, Unlocking Potential With Academic Resources and Development (UPWARD). The program provides incarcerated students with pathways to college credentials, workforce skills, and long‑term career opportunities.
“This partnership with SCC gives students real skills and real hope, and it also reflects something bigger: Rehabilitation is a shared effort across Nebraska,” said Director Rob Jeffreys. “When our colleges, communities, and corrections system work together, doors open and futures change.”
Twenty-two students earned a certificate in business after completing a six‑course program covering accounting, business fundamentals, management, and communication. Two additional students, who had begun their studies prior to incarceration, applied SCC classes toward the completion of associate of applied science degrees in integrated technology and welding technology.
“Graduation inside a correctional facility is a powerful reminder of what is possible when opportunity and effort meet,” said Amy Doty, dean Public Safety & Correctional Education at Southeast Community College. “Our students have worked diligently to reach this milestone, and it is an honor to recognize and celebrate their achievements. I am deeply grateful to our faculty and partners who show up every day with professionalism, care, and an unwavering belief in student potential. Through the UPWARD program, SCC is investing in people, opportunity, and a stronger future for Nebraska’s communities.”
In July 2024, SCC became the first institution in Nebraska — and one of the first nationwide — to receive U.S. Department of Education approval for a Pell‑eligible Prison Education Program (PEP), following the 2023 reinstatement of Pell eligibility for incarcerated students. This approval significantly expands access to postsecondary education for individuals in NDCS custody.
Over the past two years, UPWARD has served 929 students. Since spring 2024, degrees and certificates earned by incarcerated students within secure facilities and on education release have included:
38 business administration certificates
35 culinary fundamentals pre-apprenticeships
23 commercial driver’s license certificates
4 welding certificates
1 associate of applied science in integrated technology
1 associate of applied science in welding technology
1 electrical certificate
1 licensed drug and alcohol counseling certificate
Classes are delivered in person and follow a schedule similar to SCC’s other campuses. Currently 169 students are enrolled in SCC credit classes at NSP, Reception and Treatment Center (RTC), Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (NCCW), Community Corrections Center – Lincoln (CCC-L) and the Center for People for CCC-L residents.
For the fall 2025 semester, 92 UPWARD students earned a place on the Dean’s List — a reflection of the commitment, discipline, and academic excellence demonstrated across NDCS facilities.