Pell Grants for Incarcerated Students are Only the First Step: Remaining Gaps & Recommendations for Uplifting System-Involved Students
By Kristen Parsons, Research Associate, and Pavithra Nagarajan, Senior Research Associate
The College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative enrolled more than 900 incarcerated college students in New York State (NYS) correctional facilities from 2017 to 2022. Despite this significant expansion in access, students often still do not complete their degrees while incarcerated, and they face substantial barriers to reenrollment in the community. The recent reinstatement of federal Pell Grant and NYS Tuition Assistance Program eligibility for incarcerated students provides long-awaited support for academic-related costs, but may ultimately be insufficient to fully address these barriers to reenrollment and degree completion after release
As of July 2023, after a ban of nearly three decades, federal Pell Grant eligibility was restored for incarcerated people, expanding access to college-in-prison programs across the country. New York State (NYS) soon followed suit, reinstating eligibility for incarcerated students to pursue higher education through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). The long-awaited reinstatement of these funds offers new promise for college-in-prison providers and students both during incarceration and after release,[1] given that demand for these programs has far exceeded their availability[2]. As the reinstatement of funding eligibility will likely lead to a substantial increase in the number of students able to enroll in college while incarcerated, the number of students returning to communities with both completed and unfinished degrees is likely to increase in the coming years as well.
In 2017, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DANY) funded the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative (CIP) through its Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII). CIP dedicated $7.3 million to expand access to postsecondary programs in prisons by increasing enrollment capacity of education providers across the state. CUNY ISLG conducted a five-year, mixed-methods process evaluation of CIP to assess its implementation, including its impact on enrollment, educational quality, and the practical and academic reentry support offered to students to foster a successful return to the community.
CIP served 931 students over a five-year period, with the vast majority (84 percent) having enrolled in college for the first time during CIP. Half (51 percent) of CIP students were Black and 17 percent were Latine. At the close of the Initiative in Spring 2022, a total of 648 students—70 percent—of all students who enrolled in CIP, had exited their programs for various reasons, which ranged from degree completion to transfers to other facilities, voluntary drop out, or disciplinary infractions, among others. Relatively few students, however, had successfully graduated by their release, and even fewer were known to have re-enrolled and completed their degree after they returned home, necessitating more intentional efforts to support formerly incarcerated students in re-enrollment and degree completion (see Figure 1).
Relatively few students, however, had successfully graduated by their release, and even fewer were known to have re-enrolled and completed their degree after they returned home, necessitating more intentional efforts to support formerly incarcerated students in re-enrollment and degree completion.
Figure 1. Completion Status of CIP Students as of Spring 2022 (N=931)
Among all released CIP students (N=295), 84 percent (n=247) did not complete their degrees by the end of their incarceration. On average, these students had earned about half (45 percent) of the credits required for their degrees. Examining program retention and exit among all CIP students (N=927), Latine (30 percent) and Black (28 percent) students were more likely than white students (19 percent) to have been released without first completing their degrees.
Barriers to Reenrollment for Formerly Incarcerated Students
For reentering individuals, the financial burden of pursuing and completing higher education programs begun in prison can be substantial and prohibitive. When surveyed, CIP students (N=114) identified several financial challenges that they anticipated would interfere with returning to school in the community. These financial difficulties are compounded by the fact that released students need to support themselves and, often, their families, meaning fewer financial resources and less time to dedicate to the pursuit of higher education. In addition, released students often must navigate different barriers compared to traditional, on-campus students. For example, released individuals first need to address fundamental needs and abide by conditions of parole (if applicable), including securing employment and obtaining stable housing. A survey of CIP students discovered this to be a significant barrier to reenrollment (see Figure 2). As one student shared, “I feel like I would be too consumed by work to focus on getting a degree.” At least one Provider attributed a student’s decision not to reenroll after release to this challenge, noting that, “due to challenges of his parole and [his having] a hard time securing house . . . [he] has had to put enrollment on hold.”
At least one Provider attributed a student’s decision not to reenroll after release to this challenge, noting that, “due to challenges of his parole and [his having] a hard time securing house . . . [he] has had to put enrollment on hold.”
Affording the cost of tuition after release was seen as a central challenge by CIP students; among survey takers, 81 percent considered tuition to be somewhat (29 percent) or a major obstacle (52 percent). Pell Grants and TAP funds can help to defray some academic costs encountered by reentering students. These funds typically cover tuition and fees, as well as room and board (i.e., housing and meals). Pell Grants may also cover other educational expenses, such as textbooks, supplies and transportation to and from school.[3] This support is critical: 70 percent of survey takers considered paying for these materials (i.e., costs in addition to tuition) as somewhat (36 percent) or major obstacles (34 percent). In addition, over one-third (39 percent) of students anticipated transportation access to be at least somewhat (24 percent) or a major (15 percent) hindrance (see Figure 2), indicating Pell funds could help partially alleviate these burdens.
As with CJII funding, however, this is not necessarily sufficient to cover the full cost of a high-quality college education. There is a lifetime limit of 12 semesters of eligibility for Pell Grants, and funding is capped at $7,395 per student for the 2023-2024 academic year. As context, tuition for just one semester at a State University of New York (SUNY) campus in the 2023-2024 academic year is approximately $7,000,[4] potentially leaving little, if any, allocation for other educational expenses. Thus, even if students are able to reenroll, supporting students in completing their degrees requires a holistic understanding of need once they return home.
Figure 2. Perceived Obstacles to Reenrollment in College as Reported in the Student Survey (N=114)
Recommended Strategies to Support Formerly Incarcerated Students in Higher Education
Some strategies to support successful academic reentry can take place while students are still in the correctional setting. CIP Providers, for example, commonly developed academic reentry plans for students near release. These plans included one-on-one advising and reenrollment assistance and/or workshops, depending on Provider capacity. Among released students who did not complete their degrees while incarcerated (N=131), students who received these plans were substantially more likely to reenroll within one year of released compared to those without them (38 percent compared to 6 percent, respectively; see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Reenrollment Among Released Non-Completers as of the End of Spring 2022, by Academic Reentry Plan Provision (N=131)
Academic reentry planning is one promising strategy, but given that reenrollment in the community remains low, students likely require more additional supports to achieve their educational goals. Pell and TAP funds only partially address these challenges. More comprehensive, multifaceted support is needed so that students ultimately complete their degrees and experience successful reentry into the community.
Drawing from a larger set of recommendations from the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative process evaluation, the report offers providers, reentry coordinators, and other stakeholders interested supporting students with degree completion:
Provide students with copies of transcripts and other relevant documents at regular intervals to ease the reenrollment process and ensure recognition of prior credits earned in the case of student transfers between facilities/programs and/or release from prison.
Establish structured resources such as inclusive alumni networks, mentorship and funding for education-related needs (e.g., outstanding student debt, reliable Internet access) for formerly incarcerated students on-campus.
Coordinate with postsecondary institutions to support reenrollment after release. Supports include educating campus staff about common issues relevant to the formerly incarcerated population such as housing, transportation, technology, and internet access.
Offer supports to assist with job-searching and securing employment, including in-prison job fairs and career-centered workshops, mock interviews, resume and cover letter writing workshops, guidance on email and text etiquette, and finding appropriate workwear.
Our final report follows earlier policy briefs that highlighted key mid-evaluation findings (Goals & Achievements and Lessons Learned & Recommendations for Expansion). For more on the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative, see this report and the accompanying executive summary. Also refer to the Vera Institute’s interim outcome evaluation report here, which finds a 66 percent reduction in reconviction among CIP students compared to their peers.
[1] Jacobs, A. & Bond, M. (2019). Mapping the landscape of higher education in New York State Prisons Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594766.pdf.
[2] New York State Governor’s Office. (2022, January 5). Governor Hochul announces ‘Jails to Jobs’ – A new initiative to improve re-entry into the workforce and reduce recidivism. Press Release. Retrieved from https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-jails-jobs-new-initiative-improve-re-entry-workforce-and-reduce.
[3] Federal Student Aid Office. (2023, August 13). Federal Pell grants. United States Department of Education. Accessed 11/10/2023 from https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell.
[4] State University of New York (SUNY). (n.d.). Tuition and fees: 2023-24 Typical Expenses for Undergraduate Students at a SUNY College (as of August 2023). Retrieved from https://www.suny.edu/smarttrack/tuition-and-fees/.
Photo by Thomas on Adobe Stock.