Flash Edition
August 12, 2015
As part of the administration’s commitment to create a
fairer, more effective criminal justice system, reduce recidivism, and combat
the impact of mass incarceration on communities, the Department of Education
has announced the Second
Chance Pell Pilot Program. This
program will allow individuals incarcerated in federal or state penal
intuitions to receive Pell Grants and pursue a postsecondary education. Its
goal is to help individuals get jobs, support their families, and turn their
lives around. Participation in high-quality correctional education — including
postsecondary correctional education — has been shown to measurably reduce
re-incarceration rates. By reducing recidivism, correctional education can
ultimately save taxpayers money and create safer communities. See the press
release and an op-ed
by Secretary Duncan and Attorney General Loretta Lynch for more information.
This initiative, described in more detail in this fact
sheet, builds on a Dear
Colleague Letter that the Department of Education released in December
2014. The letter states that students who are confined or incarcerated in
locations that are not penal institutions, such as juvenile justice facilities
and local or county jails, and who otherwise meet applicable eligibility
criteria, are eligible for Federal Pell Grants.
In 1994, Congress eliminated Pell Grant eligibility for
those in federal and state penal institutions. Under the Second Chance Pell
Pilot Program, incarcerated individuals who meet Title IV eligibility
requirements and are eligible for release, particularly within the next five
years, could access Pell Grants. Incarcerated students who receive these grants
will be subject to cost of attendance restrictions, so the grants will only be
used to pay for the tuition, fees, books, and supplies required by an
individual’s education program. These students will not be eligible to receive
any other types of federal student aid.
The Higher Education Act authorizes the department to
periodically administer experiments
to test the effectiveness of statutory and regulatory flexibility for
participating institutions in disbursing student aid. To determine which
institutions will be selected for participation in this experiment, the agency
will look for evidence that the institution has a strong record in student
outcomes and in the administration of Title IV programs. The deadline for
institutions to apply for this pilot program is October 2, 2015, for the
2016-17 academic year.
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