College Programs

  • Mercy College offers a 4-year Bachelor’s degree program at Sing Sing and an Associate’s degree program at Fishkill. These programs are offered through Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, a non-profit organization.

  • Bard College provides a 4-year Bachelor’s degree programs and 2-year Associate’s degree program at various facilities, funded by Bard Prison Initiative.

  • SUNY Empire State College has a Memorandum of Understanding with Rising Hope under which application fees are waived and mentors are assigned to help them through the application and enrollment process. Although Empire State College does not offer any courses within correctional facilities, they have campuses throughout New York State as well as online courses which are available to our alumni upon release.

Here are some examples of how Rising Hope courses can be accepted as part of the student’s academic program.

Associates Degree in Science (Concentration in Business Studies)

  • Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Practice 

  • Introduction to the Hebrew Bible 

  • College Writing I 

  • Introduction to Sociology

  • Writing for Literature 

  • Introduction to the World Religions

Total Transfer Credits: 18 (out of the 66)

Associates Degree in Arts (Concentration in Religious Studies)

  • History of Christianity I

  • History of Christianity II 

  • Introduction to the Hebrew Bible 

  • Introduction to the New Testament 

  • Sociology of Religion

  • Theology

  • College Writing I

  • Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Practice 

  • Writing for Literature

Total Transfer Credits: 27 out of 64

Associates Degree in Arts (Concentration in Human Services)

  • Introduction to Counseling

  • Family Counseling 

  • Introduction to Human Services 

  • Introduction to Sociology 

  • Introduction to the World Religions 

  • Sociology of Religion 

  • Introduction to the Hebrew Bible 

  • College Writing I

  • Ethics: Theory and Contemporary 

  • Practice Writing for Literature

Total Transfer Credits: 30 out of 66

Limited Credit Time Allowance

Rising Hope is not a college and cannot offer college credit. This means that completing Rising Hope classes do not make one eligible for the Limited Credit Time Allowance.