Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced that Virginia will become the only state in the nation to offer state prisoners college credit for five career and technical education courses recommended by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service, known as ACE CREDIT®.

ACE CREDIT recommendations enable learners to submit an ACE transcript for completed courses to higher education institutions for evaluation as potential transfer credit in a degree program, much as they would from a traditional institution of higher learning. Decisions about acceptance of credit are made by individual colleges and universities.

“Virginia’s Department of Corrections is a national leader in preparing offenders to reenter society and lead productive lives,” said Governor McAuliffe. “This new program will build on that success by helping inmates prepare for successful futures by getting a start on a college education while they serve their time.”

“This is a significant step forward as Virginia’s reentry efforts progress, one that promises a brighter, safer Commonwealth for all of us,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran. “Offenders who take these classes are working hard while they’re behind bars to ensure their success when they get out.”

“Our teachers and principals in the prison system have worked very hard to make this happen,” said Harold Clarke, Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections. “Many of Virginia’s offenders are learning to make better choices through education.”

VADOC students may receive ACE CREDIT for the following courses: Introduction to Business, Business and Software Applications, Commercial Arts & Design, Computer-Aided Drafting, and Digital Print Production.

By: Contributing Author

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