Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of the invention enable communicating using nested Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes. A nested LDPC code is an LDPC code having a full blocklength, where shorter blocklengths of the nested LDPC code can be utilized as shorter blocklength LDPC codes. In certain embodiments, a transmitter utilizes a nested LDPC code to communicate via a point-to-point connection. In several embodiments, multiple transmitters utilize nested LDPC codes to communicate simultaneously via a Random Access Channel. One embodiment includes a transmitter capable of encoding a message as symbols using a nested LDPC code until a feedback message indicating an end of epoch message is received. A receiver can determine whether a decoding rule is satisfied at predetermined decode times and transmit an end of epoch message when the decoder can decode a message based upon the nested LDPC code.