Education: Administration and Implementation

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

This is a Spanish translation of an existing application. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in the financial aid process. You use the FAFSA form to apply for federal student aid, such as grants, work-study, and loans. In addition, most states and colleges use information from the FAFSA form to award nonfederal aid.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in the financial aid process. You use the FAFSA form to apply for federal student aid, such as grants, work study, and loans. In addition, most states and colleges use information from the FAFSA form to award nonfederal aid.

Postsecondary institutions use the E-App to apply for designation as an eligible institution, and for initial participation, recertification, reinstatement, or change in ownership, or to update a current approval. Updates include changes such as name or address change, new location or program, increased level of offering, change of officials, or mailing address for publications.

This form is to be completed by institutions of higher education or postsecondary vocational institutions applying to the Department of Education 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.

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.

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 for its accredited institutions to establish eligibility of a prison education program (PEP).

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

Fresh Start is a one-time, temporary program from the U.S. Department of Education that offers special benefits for borrowers with defaulted federal student loans. Fresh Start automatically gives you some benefits, such as restoring access to federal student aid grants and post-release loans, but you need to act to claim the full benefits of Fresh Start and get out of default.

This webinar showcases the work of several prison-based education programs to develop student advisory boards in prison, establish reentry navigators on college campuses, and collaborate with formerly incarcerated people within student-led and other community-based organizations that support current students.

This webinar spotlights Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEP) Centers. These centers, which currently operate in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, connect individuals reentering their community with employment in manufacturing.

This fact sheet from the Vera Institute of Justice highlights new regulations, passed by Congress on October 28, 2022, that prison education programs must follow to access Pell Grants for incarcerated students.

This report from the Vera Institute of Justice summarizes five case studies of state departments of corrections and their partners that have created robust job training programs. These programs provide incarcerated people with opportunities to earn industry-relevant credentials and prepare for in-demand careers after release.

The Reentry Education Tool Kit was created by RTI International with support from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), to help education providers and their partners create a reentry education continuum in their communities.

This report from Ithaka S+R summarizes the results of a scan of media review directives from all 50 states and the District of Columbia for their respective state departments of corrections.

In this interview from Ithaka S+R, Dr. Jenifer K. Montag, director of disability services at Marion Technical College, discusses her work as a researcher-practitioner, the challenges of providing disability services to postsecondary students in prison, and what needs to change for equitable access to education inside.

On September 29, 2023, Ithaka S+R hosted a webinar, “Pell 101: Information for Librarians and Those Serving People in Prison,” to share information about the restoration of Pell funding for students who are incarcerated. Panelists included prison education journalist and Open Campus reporter Charlotte West, Vera Institute of Justice Associate Initiative Director Ruth Delaney, and NASFAA Education Specialist Sheila Meiman. The webinar recording, along with additional resources, are shared here.

In 2022, Ithaka S+R launched a nationwide survey that would help determine the national landscape for access to educational technology in prison education programs. The survey asked respondents about student access to technology in their higher education in prison program, collecting demographic information before focusing on four thematic areas: technological devices, learning management systems and software, network connection and internet access, and future technology plans. The findings from this survey are presented in this report.

In this webinar hosted by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), experts on administering financial aid in prison settings discuss what financial aid administrators and prison education practitioners can do to ensure they are prepared to effectively support incarcerated learners with Pell Grant eligibility.

Learn tips to successfully administer Pell Grants for incarcerated students and gain an understanding of the existing regulations and guidance impacting prison education programs and the tools available to assist the financial aid and prison education communities when serving this student population.