Coastline's Hope Scholars Program proudly provides distance education to students in state and federal prisons. This page is to assist family members and advocates with information on education and support services for Coastline students who are currently incarcerated, also known as Hope Scholars.
View / Download the latest student guide containing information on registration and support services. An accessible version of the Guide is also available.
Hope Scholars Guide for Education
A full list of important dates can be found in our Academic Calendar.
The following link provides a comprehensive contact list of departments and individuals who support Hope Scholars organized by topics: Hope Scholars Contact List
Coastline's Hope Scholars Program offers courses that apply to one or more of the following degree programs and certificate:
Student sponsors or family members may order books and materials for students through Coastline's virtual bookstore hosted by BNC Services.
Please be sure the student is fully enrolled in his/her/their courses before ordering materials.
More information can be found on Coastline's Transcripts page.
Students can request these forms from their proctors. There are specific filing periods per semester and forms must be sent in or postmarked before the deadline.
Information about how / when you can Petition to Graduate can be found on the Graduation webpage. These dates will change each year.
Once the graduation department receives the petition, the evaluation process will begin 2-4 weeks after the closing date. The student will receive a letter from the graduation department letting them know if they were approved or denied. If approved, the diplomas will be mailed 2 months after the end of the semester.
If you are released from prison and want to continue your education with Coastline - and have not missed 2 semesters or more - you will need to do the following:
If you are released from prison and want to continue your education with Coastline - and have missed 2 semesters or more - you will need to do the following:
As you prepare for release, please know that Coastline College is committed to helping you transition to being a 'formerly incarcerated' student with Coastline. We have a number of community resources we can recommend to assist with this transition. We have meetings for our formerly incarcerated students to meet other students, learn about different college and community programs and services, and answer any questions you might have.
Learn more on the Rising Tide Scholars webpage.
You can also call us at (714) 241-6142 for general assistance or (714) 241-6114 for assistance with course enrollments.
We understand the important role that family members and sponsors play in supporting students who are incarcerated. Please note that Coastline staff cannot provide information about students to third parties unless a Privacy Release Form, signed and submitted by the student, has been received.