Prison Education Program Web Center
The Department of Education released revised guidance to allow individuals who are currently incarcerated but not currently students to consolidate their loans. This is effective April 16, 2024.
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. Check back often as this page will be updated regularly.
Do you have a question that you don't see an answer to? Or do you feel like you need some general guidance about financial aid for students who are incarcerated? Please send an email to [email protected] to get customized support.
Applications are now open for NASFAA's Breaking Barriers: Bridging Worlds in Prison Education and Student Advising Pre-Conference Convening in Milwaukee June 14-16. The deadline for the application is April 26 for priority consideration, but we will continue to review applications on a rolling basis.
Overview
In 1994, as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act legislation, access to federal financial aid was removed from people who were incarcerated. In 2015, the Department of Education announced the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative, in which selected schools were permitted to administer Pell Grants to this student population. Data and experiences were collected during the course of the experiment, and in December 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 was signed into law. The Act included a removal of the restriction preventing people who are incarcerated from participating in federal financial aid. Other than a continued prohibition on receiving loans, other financial aid including Pell Grants are permitted as of July 1, 2023, but only if the program is accepted as a formal Prison Education Program (PEP). The PEP application, which is submitted by institutions of higher education (IHEs) via the E-App, must be accompanied by active supportive documentation from both the correctional agency responsible for the students as well as the IHE's accreditor. There are a variety of detailed data and oversight requirements, and proprietary for-profit IHEs cannot host PEPs.
Institutions are required to adhere to additional regulations and to implement specialized processes in order to serve the population of incarcerated students. This web center provides information about PEPs, their administration, and resources available to support PEP programs.
Starting a Prison Education Program | Administration of Financial Aid for PEPs
Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Information
NASFAA Resources
AskRegs Questions & Answers
The NASFAA AskRegs questions that address Prison Education Programs are now publicly available. If you don't see an article about a topic you are interested in understanding, please send an email with the question to [email protected].
AskRegs Articles for Prison Education
PEP Slack Community
Our community for members interested in prison education programs aims 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.
Reference Sheets
These four guides are part of our learning series focused on providing customized material to support the administration of financial aid as part of PEPs.
Webinars
- January 31, 2024 - Completing the Paper 2024-25 FAFSA with Students Who Are Incarcerated Workshop
- October 12, 2023 - Prison Education Program: Completing the Paper 2023-24 FAFSA with Students Who Are Incarcerated
- June 15, 2023 - Preparing for Prison Education Programs: Tips for Administering Financial Aid for Incarcerated Students
Video
Language: The Importance and Impact in a Prison Education Program
Additional Resources
Student Loans, Defaults, and Repayment
- U.S. Department of Education Announces Expansion of Second Chance Pell Experiment and Actions to Help Incarcerated Individuals Resume Educational Journeys and Reduce Recidivism
- SAVE Repayment Plan Offers Lower Monthly Loan Payments | Federal Student Aid
Resources for Students
These documents are designed directly for use by students who are incarcerated.
- Confined or Incarcerated Student Fact Sheet - English
- Confined or Incarcerated Student Fact Sheet - Spanish
News Articles & Statements
-
FSA Announcement: 2023 Experimental Sites Initiative Report Now Available
- IRS Will No Longer Send Tax Transcripts to Schools Through IVES
- The IRS announced this month that starting on June 30, 2024, it will only provide tax return transcripts through its Income Verification Express Services (IVES) to mortgage lending firms. Some financial aid offices have used the IVES program to request tax return transcripts on behalf of students and parents, with their consent, for verification purposes.
- Opinion: Paving the Path From Prison to College (Newsweek)
Department of Education & Congressional References
- Revised guidance allowing individuals who are currently incarcerated but not currently students to consolidate their loans.
- FSA Prison Education Programs Knowledge Center
- ED Prison Education Programs Questions and Answers
- Dear Colleague Letter GEN-23-05: Eligibility of Confined or Incarcerated Individuals to Receive Pell Grants
- Prison Education Programs Knowledge Center Topic Page
- Prison Education Programs Q&A
- PEP Final Rules in the October 28, 2022 Federal Register
- FSA Training Conference Breakout Session 1: Understanding Prison Education Programs for Confined or Incarcerated Individuals
This work is generously funded by a grant from Ascendium Education Group.