Donate to GPEP
The Goucher Prison Education Partnership relies on generous donors like you to fund 75% of our budget. Your support helps pay for college and pre-college courses, books and materials (including calculators, art materials, and science equipment), tutoring, academic advising, admissions, and alumni support.
Donating to GPEP is a Good Investment in People
GPEP offers a college education to students in prison not because there is something broken in them that needs to be repaired, but because there is huge potential in them waiting to be unlocked. The intangible value of a GPEP education is best expressed by those who have earned it.
In Their Own Words
Donalto Marshall GPEP '22
Donalto Marshall GPEP '22
“The culture at GPEP is like what Greek scholars had. We would come together to talk about ideas—in class and outside of class. We wanted to think and be creative and share ideas with each other. The camaraderie of the GPEP students was special—we were a real community. I miss that. ”
Donating to GPEP is a Good Financial Investment
The Goucher Prison Education Partnership is a terrific investment. Our return on investment is enviable:
The Investment
- $8,000—annual cost to educate a GPEP student
The Return
- 23%—Increase in post-release employment for those leaving prison with some college coursework in prison versus no education in prison. Read the Higher Education Behind Bars (PDF) document for more information.
- 60%—Increase in income: Median weekly income for Americans with a B.A. was $1,334 in 2021 versus $809 for those with a high school education. View the Earnings and Unemployment Rates by Educational Attainment, 2021 chart.
- 400%—Taxpayer savings: For each dollar spent on educational programming behind bars, taxpayers save four- to-five dollars. Read the Higher Education Behind Bars (PDF) document for more information.
- 41%—Reduction in recidivism rate: from a 60% rate for those leaving prison without a GED to a 19% rate for those leaving with a B.A. GPEP recognizes that recidivism rates track the lowest bar of success for individuals returning home from prison. However, this does serve as a marker of people (parents and grandparents, employees and employers, brothers and sisters, change-makers, life-long learners, and teachers, etc.) coming home and staying home and significantly improving their families and communities for generations into the future. Read Recidivism Among Federal Offenders: A Comprehensive Overview (PDF) for more information.
- Priceless: Providing GPEP students with the opportunity to realize their value as scholars and citizens.
Your Part in the Equation
- 75%—Percentage of GPEP’s budget that comes from philanthropy (the remainder comes from federal Pell Grant funding).
To make a gift of stock, to donate through your IRA, or for other information, email GPEPdonate@goucher.edu.