Resource Community Higher Education in Prison

This web center was created to keep both financial aid community and prison education program administrators updated on tools, training, and news related to the implementation of financial aid in carceral settings.

The goal of this resource is to enable stakeholders to compare eligibility requirements pertaining to justice system impact across major aid programs and states.

The goal of this resource is to enable stakeholders to compare eligibility requirements pertaining to justice system impact across major aid programs and states.

This Policy Outline provides an overview of state financial aid access for students enrolled in prison postsecondary education programs or students with prior criminal convictions who are enrolled in postsecondary education outside of prison.

This Policy Outline provides an overview of state financial aid access for students enrolled in prison postsecondary education programs or students with prior criminal convictions who are enrolled in postsecondary education outside of prison.

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

Transcript from the DOJ OJP's Justice Matters podcast from Second Chance Month April 2022. BJA Director of Criminal Justice Innovation, Development, and Engagement meets with Chris Poulos - lawyer, professor, former White House intern, Director of Person-Centered Services for the Washington State DOC, and formerly incarcerated person/person with lived experience. The two discuss Chris' position within the WA DOC, challenges he's come across in WA reentry and challenges in reentry in general, successes in WA reentry and how to measure progress, how his lived experience impacts his work. As it relates to HEP, they discuss different initiatives/programs that WA has implemented within its facilities around job and trade skills.

BJA solicitation for Tribal Corrections Capacity Building Training and Technical Assistance Program

BJA solicitation for DOJ Jails and Justice Support Center

BJA solicitation for RSAT for State Prisoners TTA Program

BJA solicitation for SCA: Adult Reentry Education, Employment, Treatment, and Recovery Program

BJA solicitation award announcement for BJA FY 10 Congressionally Selected to Academic and Workforce Development Programs at the Montana Women's Prison, Billings, Montana. From award announcement: Montana State University Billings (MSUB) will expand both academic and short-term vocational workforce training programs for women incarcerated at the Montana Women's Prison (MWP) and upon their transfer to the pre-release correctional facility (Passages) located in Billings. MSUB programs are intended to provide a pathway to self-sufficiency for women offenders and thereby decrease the likelihood they will return to prison and/or commit new crimes.

BJA solicitation award announcement for BJA FY 10 Congressionally Selected to Academic and Workforce Development Programs at the Montana Women's Prison, Billings, Montana. From award announcement: Montana State University Billings (MSUB) will expand both academic and short-term vocational workforce training programs for women incarcerated at the Montana Women's Prison (MWP) and upon their transfer to the pre-release correctional facility (Passages) located in Billings. MSUB programs are intended to provide a pathway to self-sufficiency for women offenders and thereby decrease the likelihood they will return to prison and/or commit new crimes.

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Solicitation for FY 2022 Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

This is a BJA Funding solicitation

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

This guide is for people who are incarcerated and for
those on probation and parole. It’s also for those who
were previously involved with the justice system.

This report presents the findings from the 2003
prison adult literacy assessment.The report includes
analyses that compare the literacy of the U.S. prison
population in 2003 with the literacy of the U.S.
prison population in 1992.

This brief describes efforts to provide secure
and cost-effective access to technology in correctional facilities to help strengthen
and expand educational and reentry services

Award announcement for FY 2021 Second Chance Act: Adult Reentry Education, Employment, Treatment and Recovery Program to Expanding Pathways from Incarceration to Higher Education in Georgia

Award announcement for FY 2022 Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes to Georgia Pathways to Campus: Developing Pre- to Post-Release Support at Georgia State Universities and Technical Colleges

This announcement details new terminology related to the full implementation of the FAFSA Simplification and FUTURE Acts.

Other than statutory and regulatory requirements included in the document, the contents of this guidance do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public. This guidance is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.

On April 26, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education announced actions to help incarcerated individuals access educational programs as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader efforts to support reentry, empower formerly incarcerated persons, enhance public safety, and strengthen our communities and our economy. The Department has invited 73 colleges and universities to participate in the third round of the Second Chance Pell Experiment, an initiative first launched by the Obama-Biden Administration to expand access to Federal Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals enrolled in participating programs.

This letter provides guidance to institutions regarding the requirements for confined or incarcerated individuals to receive Federal Pell Grants on or after July 1, 2023.

This report highlights data from the U.S. PIAAC Survey of Incarcerated Adults and its extensive background questionnaire and direct assessments of cognitive skills. It examines the skills of incarcerated adults in relationship to their work experiences and to their education and training in prison.

This policy brief looks broadly at the challenges in and opportunities for expanding and
improving educational services for incarcerated individuals through the use of educational
technology, and empowering teachers and learners in correctional settings.

This report illustrates various strategies for building relationships between community colleges and prisons.

This report highlights national and state-level practices in community-based correctional education.

This fact sheet provides more information for confined or incarcerated students about the Federal Pell Grant and prison education programs.

This fact sheet provides more information for confined or incarcerated students about the Federal Pell Grant and prison education programs.

This is a Spanish translation of an existing fact sheet. The fact sheet provides more information for confined or incarcerated students about the Federal Pell Grant and prison education programs.

This is a Spanish translation of an existing fact sheet. The fact sheet provides more information for confined or incarcerated students about the Federal Pell Grant and prison education programs.

The purpose of this fact sheet is to outline the Department of Education’s requirements that will
be effective on July 1, 2023 at 34 CFR 668 Subpart P for nationally recognized institutional
accrediting agencies (agencies) for its accredited institutions to establish eligibility of a prison
education program (PEP).

As of July 1, 2023, a confined or incarcerated individual is eligible to receive a Federal
Pell Grant if they enroll in an eligible Prison Education Program (PEP). This fact sheet
provides more information for postsecondary schools about the approval process for
a postsecondary program to become an eligible PEP.

This form is to be completed by institutions of higher education or postsecondary vocational
institutions (institutions) applying to the Department of Education (Department) for approval of a
Prison Education Program (PEP) in collaboration with the appropriate State department of
corrections or other entity responsible for overseeing correctional facilities or the Federal
Bureau of Prisons, if applicable (Oversight entity).

Postsecondary institutions use the E-App to apply for designation as an eligible institution, initial participation, recertification, reinstatement, change in ownership, or to update a current approval.
Updates include changes such as, but not limited to, name or address change, new location or program, increased level of offering, change of officials, or mailing address for publications.