The reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students in July 2023 offers a transformative opportunity to expand access to quality postsecondary education for justice-impacted individuals. To support this national policy shift, SHEEO is convening a one-year, multi-state learning community, Advancing Postsecondary Success for Justice-Impacted Students, aimed at strengthening coordination among higher education systems, corrections agencies, and community partners.
Generously supported by Ascendium Education Group, this initiative builds on SHEEO’s 2020 report, Postsecondary Education for Incarcerated Individuals: Guidance for State Agencies and Systems of Higher Education. This guidance is designed to help states evaluate current policies, improve cross-sector collaboration, and ensure meaningful, student-centered pathways to academic and career success.
Reinstatement of Pell eligibility calls for departments of corrections, state higher education agencies, and accreditors, among others, to collaborate on the approval and operation of prison education programs (PEPs) to enhance students’ access and success opportunities. The regulations on the PEP can be found here.
SHEEO is partnering with the Vera Institute of Justice, a leading national organization advocating to end over-criminalization and mass incarceration, to help SHEEO agencies understand their role in implementing prison education programs (PEPs) in their states.
Project Goals
The many goals of this project include:
- Foster Cross-Sector Collaboration: Deepen partnerships between higher education institutions and corrections agencies to support incarcerated learners
- Remove Barriers to Access: Identify and address obstacles in policy, funding, and implementation that hinder participation in postsecondary education in prison settings.
- Strengthen Program Quality and Alignment: Share promising practices for delivering high-quality academic programs, supporting reentry, and aligning education with workforce opportunities.
- Support State Action Planning: Help participating states develop legislative priorities and implementation plans to grow and sustain prison education programs (PEPs).
- Incorporate Lived Experience: Ensure that the perspectives and needs of justice-impacted students shape state strategies and solutions.
Request for Proposals
SHEEO will open a request for proposals on April 21 and accept submissions from state teams until 5 p.m. ET on May 6, 2025.
Events
Join our upcoming webinar on Monday, April 28, 2025, from 1-2 p.m. ET to learn more about the project and how your state can participate in the learning community and contribute to the national conversation.
Past Events
SHEEO hosted a webinar in March 2023 to share important federal government updates, best practices from the Second Chance Pell Experiment, and tips for SHEEOs moving forward. View a recording of the webinar (password jqkgRY+6) and a copy of the slide deck.
Contact Us
For inquiries about the project, contact John Lane, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Equity Initiatives, at jlane@sheeo.org.