Hudson Link’s Capacity Building for Higher Education in Prison Programs’ Reentry Services: Request for Proposals (RFP)
(Before applying, we strongly encourage you to read our full Request for Proposals by accessing the “View The Full RFP” document by clicking the button below. This will explain the full application process, qualifications/eligibility, and what to expect if selected in greater detail.)
Hello everyone,
Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison is excited to announce a new initiative to strengthen reentry support for currently and formerly incarcerated people pursuing higher education. With the reinstatement of Pell grants, institutions are now tasked with providing effective reentry services without additional funding. To address this, we are launching the “Capacity Building for Higher Education in Prison Programs’ Reentry Services” RFP.
We invite programs nationwide to apply for this opportunity. Selected participants will receive tailored technical assistance, capacity-building consulting, and direct financial support to enhance their reentry services, ultimately facilitating successful transitions and boosting post-release student success.
Project Introduction and Overview
In the Fall of 2023, new federal legislation restored Pell grant funding to incarcerated people pursuing undergraduate degrees through approved Prison Education Providers (PEPs). The legislation requires institutions of higher education looking to offer Pell-funded college programs to lay out a plan not just for delivering credit-bearing college coursework, but also for providing reentry services and support to participating students once they are released. The reality is that this legislation requires institutions of higher education to provide post-release student support they don’t necessarily have the experience to provide – without providing additional funding to develop that capacity. Third-party stakeholders that may be highly capable of offering these services are not being provided additional federal funding to meet the need this expanded access will create.
As we have watched this unfold, Hudson Link has wondered how these institutions will meet the challenge of providing reentry support, at the same time knowing that without reentry support, many students funded by aid will not reach the benchmarks required – degree completion, stable housing, employment with a living wage – to call this Pell experiment a success. This is especially relevant given potential changes at the federal level, and within the HEP technical assistance landscape, both of which could disproportionately impact programs that are just getting off the ground.
To meet this need we saw growing in the field, Hudson Link sought and received grants to provide technical assistance and build national capacity in reentry support for reentering citizens participating in higher education in prison programs. As part of this initiative, Hudson Link will select five programs from across the country and match each with senior staff, experienced alumni, and/or community members whose expertise aligns with their capacity-building needs. In addition to consulting hours over the course of a year on a co-constructed capacity-building project, these five programs will receive direct cash support to bring services to life. The exact topic and scope that Hudson Link and grantee organizations work on together will be determined during the initial phase of the project. Programs will be selected based on how well their goals and challenges align with the strengths of our team, and where we believe our support can have the greatest impact.
Opportunity Details
Five selected programs will receive the following as part of their participation in this initiative.
- A series of discovery calls to help Hudson Link understand program operations, capacity gaps, and areas of greatest need that can be addressed during the grant period;
- Matching with a lead consultant from Hudson Link’s staff, alumni, or broader community who is best suited to help meet the needs;
- At least three in-person visits from lead Hudson Link consultant to work together on the ground;
- Bi-monthly check-in calls during the grant year to talk through and troubleshoot challenges;
- A grant of $50,000, delivered in two installments, to fund capacity-building expenses and help address gaps in reentry services;
- Introduction to any funders in Hudson Link’s existing portfolio who could be a good fit for the selected applicant; and
- At least two calls during the grant year between selected applicants and the Hudson Link development team to strategize on fundraising and provide support.
The $50,000 grant that comes with participation in this initiative can be used for a wide range of expenses, including but not limited to wages/stipends, supplies, event costs, establishment of physical program space, computer equipment and/or software, tuition or other direct cash support for returning students, and other items not listed here. If proposing to support wages/stipends with the grant money, applicants should indicate whether and how they plan to maintain those costs once the grant period ends. The amount of the payment installments can be structured to meet the needs of each grantee.
Eligibility Criteria
Higher education in prison program applicants, or programs with which the applicant is affiliated:
- Must be, or be fiscally sponsored by, a 501(c)3 organization;
- Must be a college, university, or third-party organization;
- Must be serving students in the United States and/or its territories;
- Must use 100% of subgrant for program-related expenses (i.e. no portion of this grant may go toward indirect costs);
- Must currently deliver accredited courses to incarcerated students at the post-secondary level
- Must be in, or preparing to be in, the process of applying for federally approved PEP status (either the applicant organization or its college partner, in the case of a third-party organization);
- Must be currently providing reentry services or planning to provide reentry services in the future;
- Must have regular and meaningful in-person interaction with students, even if some of the program’s academic content is delivered via a virtual or digital format; and
- Strong preference will be given to programs with directly impacted leadership, staff, and/or that have been designed by directly impacted people.
Ineligibility Criteria
Anyone meeting any of the following criteria is ineligible for consideration for this project:
- Any program screening students based on their crime, length of sentence, or time to release;
- Any program that excludes students based on immigration status, if not restricted by federal or state funding requirements; and
- Any program that is not gender-affirming in its work with students.
Criteria for Currently Incarcerated Applicants
Incarcerated individuals or groups are eligible and encouraged to apply for this initiative. For incarcerated individuals to apply, they should be current or former members of a higher education in prison program, and must be willing to partner with that program or another local organization on the ground who can provide administrative and logistical support to the project. This partnership does not have to be in place prior to application. To account for the time and access challenges presented by incarceration, Hudson Link will assess applications from incarcerated persons or groups without requiring an existing partnership, and will use the interview period to explore local partnerships that could facilitate project participation. Hard copy proposals from incarcerated applicants can be mailed to Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, Attn: Lila McDowell, P.O. Box 862, Ossining NY 10562, and must be postmarked no later than September 1, 2025.
Project Timeline
- September 1, 2025, 11:59PM EDT: Application due via form submission, project budgets must be emailed to consulting@hudsonlink.org; postmark deadline for hard copy applications (see below for full list of application questions)
- September 19, 2025: Round 1 review complete, finalist interviews scheduled
- October 10, 2025: Finalist interviews complete
- October 17, 2025: Selected applicants notified; grant agreements sent
- October 31, 2025: Deadline for grant signatures
- November 3, 2025: Project kickoff
- November 2025: Discovery calls
- December 2025: Initial grantee visits
- January 2026: First grant payment
- January – October 2026: Project work, up to two follow-up visits, and bi-monthly check-ins
- July 2026: Second grant payment
- November 2026: Project completion
- December 31, 2026: Final report due to Hudson Link
Applicant Information
Program Name:
Host Institution/Fiscal Sponsor (if applicable):
Program Phone Number:
Program Address:
Contact Name and Title:
Contact Email Address:
Contact Phone Number:
Note: Incarcerated applications can include the name of a prison administrator with whom Hudson Link is authorized to communicate regarding your application.
Narrative Questions (Attach with Project Budget):
- Program Mission and History (250 words max)
- Current Program Overview (1,000 words max)
- Current Reentry Services Offered (if any) (1,000 words max)
- Who are the primary thought leaders in your program, and what is their background/experience in higher education in prison and/or reentry services? (1,000 words max)
- How have directly impacted people contributed to current academic or reentry offerings? (750 words max)
- To what extent do you include the voices of directly impacted people in program decisions and leadership? (750 words max)
- With which other organizations do you currently partner to offer the services described above (both academic and reentry)? (750 words max)
- Desired Reentry Services (1,500 words max)
In a fully funded world, what reentry services do you envision your program providing? - Area of Greatest Need for Support (1,500 words max)
The exact topic and scope of the consulting project will be determined together during discovery between Hudson Link and the selected applicants. That said, please share the challenges your program is currently facing in building out or delivering its reentry services, and what you hope to gain from participation in this initiative. - Planned Use of Funds (1,500 words max)
How do you plan to use the $50,000 sub-grant? What amounts would you like paid out in January and July 2026 respectively, and for what expenses? - Plan for Sustainability Beyond the Grant Period (750 words max)
What capacity does the applicant have to build support that will sustain any improvements or innovations past the grant period? - Budget
Please include a budget and budget narrative for how the $50,000 will be spent and share any other financial support you currently have or are applying for that would contribute to reentry work. Rather than have applicants rework their budget into a new format, please submit the clearest budget you already have, ensuring that the narrative provides adequate information to help us read it.
For more information on Hudson Link’s past work providing technical assistance to other programs across the country, check out this video on our YouTube channel. More about Hudson Link’s history and current services can be found on our website.
The deadline to apply for this opportunity is September 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT. Please apply using the following link: Capacity Building for Higher Education in Prison Programs.
We encourage you to share this opportunity within your networks. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out at: consulting@hudsonlink.org.
