Are Students Enrolled In a Prison Education Program Eligible For Title IV Aid Other Than Pell?

Yes. Students enrolled in a Prison Education Program (PEP) are eligible for Title IV aid beyond the Federal Pell Grant. Incarcerated or confined students are never eligible for Direct Loan funds while incarcerated, but they may be eligible for other types of Title IV aid.

See the following from GEN-23-05:

"Students who are confined or incarcerated remain ineligible for Direct Loan funds during the period of their incarceration. There are, however, no statutory or regulatory limitations on eligibility confined or incarcerated individuals for TEACH Grants, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), or Federal Work Study (FWS) programs. Students may not qualify for these types of assistance due to other program requirements, but institutions must consider those programs when awarding aid to enrolled confined or incarcerated individuals."

It is important to note that regulatory changes effective July 1, 2023, as announced in the October 28, 2022 Federal Register, limit the amount of a Federal Pell Grant funds that a confined or incarcerated student enrolled in a prison education Program (PEP) may receive as follows:

• The Pell Grant for such a student must be reduced until the amount of the Pell Grant does not exceed the COA and does not result in a Title IV credit balance.
• If the incarcerated or confined student receives other financial assistance, which combined with the Pell Grant, exceeds the student's COA, the other financial assistance must be reduced by the amount that the total financial assistance exceeds the COA.
• If the student's other financial assistance cannot be reduced, the Pell Grant must be reduced so that the total financial assistance does not exceed the COA. [See 34 CFR 690.62(b)(1)]

Also see the ED PEP Questions and Answers - Student Eligibility website. 

Student Aid Reference Desk: For additional information, try the Student Aid Reference Desk. It is a central hub of all the important financial aid resources you need with direct links to legislation, regulation, Dear Colleague Letters, and other ED and NASFAA references. It is updated on a rolling basis with the latest news and changes.