How Does a School Participating In the Second Chance Pell Experiment Transition To Prison Education Programs?

Schools currently participating in the Second Chance Pell Experiment may become eligible for participation in Prison Education Programs (PEPs), but approval is not automatic.

In the April 18, 2023 Federal Register notice, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced its invitation for postsecondary educational institutions currently participating in the Second Chance Pell Experiment to apply to participate in a new experiment under the Experimental Sites Initiative (ESI). The invitation to participate in the revised experiment is only available to schools currently approved and participating in the Second Chance Pell Experiment as of June 30, 2023. However, schools wishing to receive priority consideration for approval in the new experiment must complete the process outlined in the Federal Register notice no later than May 18, 2023.

The revised Second Chance Pell Experiment will provide new waivers allowing current Second Chance Pell institutions to continue offering programs to confined or incarcerated students after July 1, 2023. This gives participating institutions up to an additional three years to complete the ED application and approval process for PEPs while avoiding an interruption of education for confined or incarcerated students currently enrolled in programs under the Second Chance Pell Experiment.

The April 18, 2023 Electronic Announcement (GENERAL-23-25) states that an institution interested in participating in the revised experiment must:

1. Notify ED that it wishes to participate in the revised experiment by submitting a letter of interest on the institution’s letterhead and signed by the school’s financial aid administrator;
2. Agree to make efforts to reach the specific milestones demonstrating progress toward development of approved PEP(s), as outlined in the “Institutional Requirements” section of the April 18, 2023 Federal Register notice;
3. Be in compliance with the reporting requirements under the current experiment as outlined in the Program Participation Agreement (PPA) Amendment;
4. Be in compliance with statutory requirements in the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, and Title IV regulatory requirements, including administrative capability and financial responsibility; and 
5. Describe in its letter of interest how the school will ensure compliance with the requirements of the revised experiment outlined in the Federal Register notice, including its plan and the date the school expects to comply with the new PEP provisions in Subpart P of 34 CFR Part 668.

The letter of interest must:

1. Be sent as an Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) attachment via email to [email protected] with the subject line “ESI 2023—Pell for Students Who Are Incarcerated;”
2. Include the institution’s official name and OPEID number;
3. Include the name, mailing address, email address, and phone number for the school’s contact person;
4. Include the name and address of the correctional facility(ies) with with the school partners; and
5. Include a listing of academic programs currently offered under the Second Chance Pell Experiment that the school wishes to include in the revised experiment, along with an estimate of the number of participating students.

Schools should direct questions about the application process or the revised Second Chance Pell Experiment to [email protected].

Resources:

• PEP Final Rules in the October 28, 2022 Federal Register
• Prison Education Programs Knowledge Center Topic Page
• Dear Colleague Letter GEN-23-05: Eligibility of Confined or Incarcerated Individuals to Receive Pell Grants
• Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference Breakout Session 1: Understanding Prison Education Programs for Confined or Incarcerated Individuals
• Prison Education Programs Q&A
• Email [email protected]

For more information on PEPs, see the following AskRegs Knowledgebase Qs&As or search the Prison Education Program category in the AskRegs Knowledgebase:

• Where Can I Find More Information About Aid Eligibility For Students In Prison Education Programs?
• Is There an Application To Participate In a Prison Education Program? (Award Year: 2023-24)
• How Is "Confined Or Incarcerated Individual" Defined For a Prison Education Program (PEP)? (Award Year: 2023-24)