Pell Grant Program Expands to Provide Free College Degrees for 30,000 Prisoners

Starting July 1, Pell Grant eligibility will be extended to incarcerated individuals for the first time since 1994, providing $130 million in aid for 30,000 prisoners annually.
The expansion aims to study how to best provide Pell Grants to prisoners and make more programs available to them.
While incarcerating an individual in California costs $106,000 per year, educating a prisoner costs only $20,000.
College degrees obtained in prison significantly improve the chances of successfully transitioning back into society after release.
Prison education programs face challenges like limited space and racial disparities in who receives access to and completes the programs.