The Darrin Lester Scholarship, co-funded by the Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP) and the West Virginia University Higher Education in Prison Initiative (HEPI), is now accepting applications for the 2025–2026 academic year.
This scholarship supports formerly incarcerated individuals pursuing higher education. For the 2025–2026 academic year, three scholarships of $3,000 each will be awarded. Funds must be used for educational expenses such as tuition, registration fees, books, supplies, or other costs directly related to participation in a higher education program.
To be eligible, applicants must meet certain criteria, including having served at least one year in a West Virginia state or federal prison (or a qualifying prison in Pennsylvania) and having been released within the past three years.
The application deadline is July 18, 2025. Applications must be postmarked or received electronically by this date to be considered. You can submit your application via email or mail. To submit via email, send your application materials to appalachianpbp@gmail.com. Use “Darrin Lester Scholarship” as the subject line. To submit via mail, send your application materials to Appalachian Prison Book Project, c/o Darrin Lester Scholarship, PO Box 601, Morgantown, WV 26507.
For complete eligibility details and application instructions, visit the scholarship webpage: https://appalachianprisonbookproject.org/what-we-do/education/scholarship/