The U.S. Education Department on Monday issued new guidance declaring that inmates in local or county jails, correctional facilities, penitentiaries, and juvenile facilities are eligible for Pell Grants, but not Title IV loans. A "Dear Colleague" letter released by the department on Monday states that such institutions are not considered federal or state penal institutions, whose inmates are barred from receiving Title IV loans and Pell Grants.
"Students in juvenile-justice facilities need a world-class education and rigorous coursework to help them successfully transition out of facilities and back into the classroom or the work force, becoming productive members of society," the education secretary, Arne Duncan, said in a news release. "Young people should not fall off-track for life just because they come into contact with the justice system."
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/inmates-in-local-jails-may-receive-pell-grants-education-dept-says/90811