EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP
Source: Iowa Department of EducationSixty credits. That’s the maximum number of college credit hours an inmate can take while at the Newton Correctional Facility. For former inmates Matt Stickley and Chad Shearon, 60 wasn’t just a number or a goal: It was an opportunity to change their lives.
Through a partnership with Grinnell College, accredited and non-accredited courses were offered to Stickley and Shearon while serving their sentences, and both men individually took a wide variety of classes ranging from humanities to music theory to sociology.
“I decided to use my time the best I could and make something of myself,” said Shearon, who pursued studies in neuroscience. “This was an opportunity for me to fulfill my education. The classes gave me hope that there is a future, that I could complete my degree and do something better with my life.
“It was a godsend that this opportunity was presented to me.”
Read the full article at the Iowa Department of Education website.
Ascendium’s education philanthropy grant program operates within Ascendium Education Solutions, Inc., a member company of Ascendium Education Group, Inc. & Affiliates. Ascendium Education Group has helped millions of learners pursue postsecondary education since 1967, when it was formed to help fulfill the promise of the landmark Higher Education Act of 1965. Over the years, Ascendium has grown to become not only the nation's largest federal student loan guarantor, but also one of the most active postsecondary education philanthropies.
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