By Quintina Barnett Gallion, Associate Executive Director at AACRAO
At the 110th AACRAO Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, AACRAO members came together to begin their work in advancing prison education programs.
PEPs are structured initiatives that provide incarcerated individuals with access to academic and career-focused education while serving time. These programs are designed not only to reduce recidivism but also to improve rehabilitation outcomes, support successful reentry, and promote dignity through education.
Policy Evolution: From Restriction to Opportunity
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 effectively barred incarcerated individuals from receiving federal financial aid. This changed in 2015 with the Department of Education's Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative. By collecting data and outcomes from participating institutions, the groundwork was laid for broader policy reform.
The 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act reversed the federal aid ban (except for loans), and as of July 1, 2023, incarcerated students could again receive Pell Grants but only through formally approved PEPs. These programs require formal applications from higher education institutions, along with documented support from both the responsible corrections agency and the institution's accreditor.
While prison education programs have faced their share of controversy - ranging from public skepticism about using taxpayer dollars to support incarcerated individuals, to debates over fairness and resource allocation - they remain one of the most evidence-backed strategies for reducing recidivism and promoting long-term societal benefit. Critics often frame the issue as a zero-sum game:
Why should people who’ve committed crimes receive free education while others struggle with tuition?
But this framing ignores the proven outcomes and cost savings of prison education, as well as the broader moral imperative to expand access to opportunity. If we are serious about systemic transformation in higher education, justice-involved learners must be included in that vision. Within AACRAO’s framework of learning mobility, which calls for equitable, portable, and learner-centered access to education, prison education isn’t just a policy option. It’s a necessity.
Yet, not all programs meet the learning mobility bar. Educational initiatives that fail to center their work on the learner, and more specifically, the unique needs and constraints of incarcerated learners, are falling short. Likewise, programs that overlook the expertise of admissions professionals, registrars, and academic recordkeepers risk undermining the very integrity and portability that justice-involved learners need to thrive.
Building successful prison education programs requires more than goodwill; it requires alignment with the systems and professionals who ensure that every learner's experience is valid, verifiable, and transferable. AACRAO members are not auxiliary to this work - they are essential to doing it right.
“This isn’t a question of deserving or not deserving. AACRAO believes in the power of education to change lives, to change circumstances, and to empower all individuals to achieve their desired dreams,” said Melanie Gottlieb, Executive Director, AACRAO. "We are excited to bring our expertise to these programs to ensure that the best standards and practices are in place.”
Over the next few months, these members will work in coordination with NASFAA to develop draft guidelines around some of the following areas. They will present their draft guidelines at the Aligning Efforts: Navigating the Intersection of Student Services and Prison Education event in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2025.
To stay up-to-date on this work, join the learning mobility updates list.