Lisa Stevens spent her days working last spring, but two nights a week, she would study Shakespeare and Nietzsche. The Free Minds Project gave the mother of one a jump start to earning college credit.

"I was always haunted by the fact that I didn't go to college," Stevens said.

The Free Minds Project is a new program that provides adults with an opportunity to work with University of Texas and Austin Community College professors to improve their skills in writing, communication and critical thinking. Project sponsors include UT's Humanities Institute, ACC, Foundation Communities, the UT Department of Rhetoric and Writing, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, Skillpoint Alliance, Norton Books and the University Co-op. People who haven't been to school in years have a chance to study subjects such as philosophy, literature, classics, U.S. history, theater and writing. It is a college-level course in the humanities, and students who successfully complete the course receive six college credits.

Stevens said it was a great opportunity to "be a part of a group and [study] things I always dreamed about studying."

"Each class was so exciting that any other difficulties, like finding time to study, seemed insignificant," she said.

Evan Carton, an English professor at UT and director of the Humanities Institute, said he truly enjoyed working with these nontraditional students.

"The whole faculty found it challenging and inspiring. The students brought life experience and maturity to the classroom, along with the hardships that have hindered them in the past. It really shaped the way they read and talked," Carton said. "You can teach a play a thousand times, and these students will come at it with a unique approach and surprise you."

The project completed its pilot year in May and is preparing for an even larger second year to begin in Northeast Austin in early September. The entire original faculty is coming back, along with some new professors. It will meet two nights a week for nine months. The deadline for registration is July 15.

Eligibility requirements are broad. Students must be between the ages of 18 and 60, have a high school diploma or GED and demonstrate a need for financial aid.

"The barrier for most students is not lack of ability or motivation. It is simply believing they can," Carton said. "People might feel intimidated, because we read philosophy and challenging literature, but everyone who is interested in the program clearly has something to offer."

The project provides students with a variety of support services, including free tuition, textbooks, on-site childcare, transportation assistance and college and career counseling.

"I've always dreamed of attending college, but there was a fear that even if I could attend, I wouldn't succeed," said Abbie Navarette, another recent graduate. "This class has opened my eyes to the fact that I can do this, that college is for me and for my kids."

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