Ineligible Anyway: Evidence on the Barriers to Pell Eligibility for Prisoners in the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program in Pennsylvania Prisons

Beyond Pell restoration: Addressing persistent funding challenges in prison higher education toward racial and economic justice.

“…There are a variety of reasons someone would be ineligible to access the Pell grant during incarceration. First-hand accounts from practitioners indicate that the largest hurdles for incarcerated people in accessing Pell are: verification, previous loan default, and access to requisite documents like previous tax filings (Royer et al, 2021; Tahamont et al, 2022). Incarcerated people were routinely flagged for FAFSA verification by the U.S. Department of Education during the first round of the Second Chance Pell Experiment, a process that requires the applicant to submit additional documents to verify finances (Wachendorfer & Budke, 2020).…”

“…Likewise, there are well-documented difficulties with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application and award processes for incarcerated people (Royer et al, 2021). Recent research finds that large shares of incarcerated people are currently ineligible to receive the Pell grant (Tahamont et al, 2022) because of barriers imposed by systemic racism and concentrated poverty, such as previous student loan default and incarcerated students’ inability to access tax information and other required records. These barriers are not addressed via Pell restoration.…”

Degrees of difference: Do college credentials earned behind bars improve labor market outcomes?

“…One study found PSCE participation improved postrelease employment outcomes for individuals who earned associate's degrees while incarcerated in Ohio (Holloway & Moke, 1986), yet a more widely cited study found that earning a PSCE degree of any type in Minnesota did not significantly increase the chance of finding employment 24-26 months after release (Duwe & Clarke, 2014). Note that PSCE earners in the latter study did work significantly more hours and thus earned significantly more in total wages than did 1 Some critics have suggested that this report overpredicts the growth of PSCE programming (Tahamont et al, 2020). The Vera Institute estimates are based on the fact that approximately 463,000 inmates are academically eligible to participate in college programming; however, while incarcerated, academic eligibility is only one element of the grant's overall eligibility criteria.…”

“…The Vera Institute estimates are based on the fact that approximately 463,000 inmates are academically eligible to participate in college programming; however, while incarcerated, academic eligibility is only one element of the grant's overall eligibility criteria. A 2020 study of Pell Grant eligibility in Pennsylvania found that most potential recipients were ineligible to receive grant funding given U.S. Department of Education, Department of Corrections, and school-specific barriers (Tahamont et al, 2020).…”

The promise of higher education in prison and beyond

“…Prison and state corrections leadership can also restrict PEP participation as they see fit. 7 • Most states (33) prohibit the use of state financial aid by incarcerated students. 8 • Approximately 5 percent of the nation's more than 6,000 prisons, jails and juvenile facilities offer PEP programs.…”