Point University has announced that it will participate in a Yes We Must Coalition (YWMC) project to increase access and success in higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students. The initiative will help institutions strengthen programs and improve outcomes for justice-impacted learners.
The Yes We Must Coalition (YWMC) has received a two-year, $248,820 grant from the ECMC Foundation to launch a collaborative initiative focused on increasing success for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students.
Eleven Yes We Must Coalition member institutions will participate in the initiative. Three institutions with established programs serving incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students will serve as exemplar facilitators: Benedict College (South Carolina), College Unbound (Rhode Island) and Mercy University (New York). These Leader Campus institutions will help lead the project by sharing effective approaches and programs currently in place to engage and support justice-impacted students.
Additional participating institutions include Ferrum College (Virginia), Heritage University (Washington), Mars Hill University (North Carolina), Metropolitan College of New York, Mount Saint Mary’s University (California), Point University (Georgia), Saint Elizabeth University (New Jersey), and Trocaire College (New York).
The initiative will begin with an in-person gathering in fall 2026, where experienced practitioners from the three Leader Campus institutions will share insights, resources and proven approaches. Participants will engage in structured discussions, collaborative planning sessions and team-based workshops designed to help institutions create actionable strategies tailored to their campuses.
Following the gathering, participants will continue their work through virtual Communities of Practice, where they will share progress, exchange ideas and support one another as they refine and implement their plans.
Nearly 2 million people are incarcerated in the United States on any given day, and roughly 600,000 people return from prison to their communities each year. People from low-income backgrounds are disproportionately represented in the justice system, and an estimated 85 percent of incarcerated adults do not hold a college degree. Expanding access to higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students can improve economic mobility, strengthen communities and support successful reentry.
“We are grateful to the ECMC Foundation for supporting this important project,” said Gloria Nemerowicz, Yes We Must Coalition president. “This initiative will help our member institutions better serve justice-impacted students and expand access to the transformative benefits of higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.”
Learn more about the Yes We Must Coalition at yeswemustcoalition.org.
