By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
The return of eligibility for Title IV aid to incarcerated students after a decades-long halt now presents institutions with the opportunity to consider, begin to start, or in some instances expand their prison education programs (PEP).
During the NASFAA 2025 National Conference in Anaheim, California, attendees learned about the successes of PEPs across the country, along with the struggles many students and programs face.
Terrell Blount, executive director and co-founder of the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing higher education opportunities for currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, shared his perspective on the PEP landscape.
NASFAA’s Sheila Meiman joined in Tuesday’s conversation with Blount, which focused on the higher education environment in prison following the return of Title IV eligibility to incarcerated students.
The discussion provided insight into the impact educational availability has on both the societal and individual levels, with Blount and Meiman sharing their experiences working with students experiencing incarceration, including multiple success stories.
However, the duo also shared challenges students in PEP face, such as long waitlists to join a program, issues receiving their Social Security number (SSN), managing their education along with working and other obligations in prison, and much more.
Blount also shared his own journey from incarceration to higher education, ultimately receiving both a bachelor's and master's degrees from Rutgers University. He explained how he came to the realization that attending college was the answer to achieve his goals post-incarceration, which is a realization many people have while incarcerated.
“College was the answer that came to my mind, and that's when I made that commitment,” Blount said. “So many people on the inside have done the same thing. They realize the challenges that are up against them… They know that when they come home, there is no option of failing. If failing is going to be returning back to prison, there is no option for that. So people really have the interest, they have the desire for education.”
Our Today's News team is on the ground in Anaheim keeping you up-to-date on NASFAA 2025 sessions and special events. Be sure to follow our social media channels, where you can share your experiences and connect with your colleagues. Check out all of our conference news coverage and stay tuned to Today’s News for more coverage throughout the conference.
Publication Date: 6/25/2025
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