Prison Education Program Web Center
This web center was created to keep both the financial aid community and prison education program administrators updated on tools, training, and news related to implementing financial aid in carceral settings.
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 experiment, and in December 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 was signed into law. The Act included the 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, submitted by institutions of higher education (IHEs) via the E-App, must be accompanied by active supporting documentation from both the correctional agency responsible for the students and 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 implement specialized processes 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
Approved Prison Education Programs
A link to the Department of Education's (ED) list of approved PEPs is provided below. The information in this list is periodically updated by ED. Please note that approved programs may not yet be operating. ED recommends contacting the educational institution directly for more 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 submit a question through AskRegs.
AskRegs Articles for Prison Education
Blog Series
- Prison Education Program Blog Part I: A Guided Policy Timeline
- Prison Education Program Blog Part II: A Guide to NASFAA Resources
PEP Slack Community
Our community for members interested in prison education programs aims to keep both the financial aid community and prison education program administrators up to date on tools, training, and news related to implementing financial aid in carceral settings.
Reference Sheets
These guides are part of our learning series, which provides customized materials to support the administration of financial aid as part of PEPs.
On-Demand Webinar
- NASFAA Webinar: Critical Partnerships in Administering a Prison Education Program
- Academic Advising in Prison Education Programs: Opening the Conversation
Video
Language: The Importance and Impact in a Prison Education Program
Additional Resources
Resources for Students
These documents are designed specifically for use by students who are incarcerated.
- Confined or Incarcerated Student Fact Sheet - English
- Confined or Incarcerated Student Fact Sheet - Spanish
News Articles & Statements
- 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
- Prison Education Programs Best Interest Determination
- FAFSA Tips for Incarcerated Applicants
- Fact Sheet: How to Contact the U.S. Department of Education Office of Correctional Education
- Fact Sheets for Student Loan Borrowers
- Information on Additional Flexibilities for Late Disbursements for 2024-25 Paper FAFSA Filers (December 12, 2024)
- Updated information about further delays in both the processing of paper FAFSAs and the availability of corrections for paper FAFSAs (October 2024)
- 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
- 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 was generously funded by a grant from Ascendium Education Group.
