Paving the Path From Prison to College | Opinion

This month marks the beginning of a new era in education for hundreds of thousands of Americans. After almost three decades of being locked out of federal student aid eligibility, people in our nation's prisons and other correctional facilities will now have access to financial assistance through the Pell Grant program. Education can—and does—have a transformative effect, both in prison and after release. It helps people succeed and thrive during reentry, reduces poverty, strengthens public safety—all while saving taxpayer dollars.

Since they were first awarded 50 years ago, Pell Grants have been a lifeline for countless students seeking a postsecondary degree, many of whom would not have otherwise been able to afford the cost of college. Prior to 1994, when Congress banned Pell for individuals who are incarcerated, people in federal and state penal institutions—disproportionately people of color and with low incomes were among the many who benefited from Pell Grants. Pell widened the doorway to a college education, paving the way to gainful employment and a new life for the 95 percent of people in prison who will return home.

During the Obama-Biden administration, the Department of Education, the Department of Justice, and more than 20 other federal agencies came together through the Federal Interagency Reentry Council and worked with reentry advocates and formerly incarcerated people to devise the Second Chance Pell Experiment. Second Chance Pell enlisted institutions of higher learning to partner with federal and state correctional systems to provide Pell assistance on a pilot basis. Over time, and in partnership with leading non-governmental organizations like the Vera Institute of Justice, 200 colleges and universities in 48 states, including two-dozen Historically Black Colleges and Universities and minority-serving institutions, joined the initiative, and more than 9,000 students earned postsecondary credentials with the support of Pell Grants.

The success of Second Chance Pell contributed to the expansion of Pell eligibility under the FAFSA Simplification Act, a notable bipartisan achievement that restored Pell eligibility for students in correctional facilities across the country beginning in the 2023-24 academic year. The law recognizes the clear benefits that a higher education confers to students and society alike. Studies have found that a postsecondary education helps justice-impacted people who were formerly incarcerated find jobs upon release, support their families, and contribute positively to their communities. Research also shows that access to education in prison lowers the odds of recidivating by 43 percent and saves taxpayers up to $5 for every $1 spent.

Just as important, it enables people like Angel Sanchez to realize their potential.

Sentenced to prison at just 16 years old, Angel earned his GED while imprisoned in the Florida Department of Corrections. While the Pell ban was in effect during his time in prison, he received a Pell Grant after his release and went on to obtain his undergraduate and law degrees. He is now a licensed attorney and serves as a visiting fellow with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs, where he works with colleagues at the Department of Education to improve the post-release prospects of people in the corrections system. Stories like Angel's highlight the transformative power of education for justice-involved people.

Inspiring examples like Angel's abound. The time is now to build on his example and provide students who are incarcerated across the country access to the resources and support they need to earn a college degree, which is associated with many benefits including higher earnings, reduced risk of unemployment, and vastly lower recidivism rates.

To bring this success to scale, we need buy-in from our country's prison administrators and the active support of our nation's higher learning institutions. Colleges and universities can show their commitment to the wider diffusion of knowledge and the transformative power of education by partnering with corrections systems to establish prison education programs. Last fall, the Department of Education released new regulations for the application and approval process for prison education programs. Creation of these programs in cooperation with state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons is a first step in enabling incarcerated students to access Pell Grants and begin their journey through postsecondary education. Research shows that prisons with high-quality education programs have fewer violent incidents than those without these opportunities, making it safer for both people in custody and correctional officers.

For their part, prisons can show their commitment to public safety, rehabilitation, and reentry by partnering with colleges and universities to make Pell-eligible programs accessible to all college-ready people in their custody. In addition, prisons can help individuals become college-ready by providing other education programs, such as adult literacy and GED programs. Corrections-education partnerships should expand access to postsecondary opportunities, both by creating opportunities for students inside the walls and by bridging those opportunities into the community at large. They can benefit from innovative collaborations like the one instituted by the Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, which expands the availability of credit-bearing classes inside prisons and provides support to students pursuing higher education after their release.

The reinstatement of federal Pell Grants is a game-changer, not just for people who are incarcerated, but for their families, our communities, our economy, and our country as a whole. We call upon our nation's colleges and universities, and departments of corrections and correctional facilities across our country to join us as we open this opportunity to the many students who are incarcerated and stand to fulfill their potential and contribute to their communities in extraordinary ways.

Dr. Amy Loyd is assistant secretary for the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education.

Amy L. Solomon is assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice.

The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.

Update (7/24/23, 5:07 PM EST): A clarification was made about which types of institutions supported Pell Grants.