The Obama administration’s plan to open up Pell Grants to some incarcerated students, which will be announced formally on Friday, is already drawing criticism from some Republicans.
The U.S. Department of Education said Tuesday that the "limited pilot program" will operate under the experimental sites initiative, which allows the department to waive certain rules that govern federal financial aid.
Some Republicans on Capitol Hill are pushing back on the administration’s plan by questioning the department’s authority to start the pilot program, since the U.S. Congress explicitly cut most prisoners’ eligibility for Pell Grants in the mid-1990s.
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/07/29/education-department-confirms-pell-grant-pilot-program-prisoners