Pell	Eligibility	for	Incarcerated	Students
Section	484(t)	of	the	HEA	established	Pell	Grant	eligibility	for	confined	or	incarcerated	students	if	they	are	enrolled	in	an
eligible	Prison	Education	Program	(PEP).	A	confined	or	incarcerated	individual	is	eligible	to	receive	a	Pell	Grant	if	that
individual	enrolls	in	an	eligible	PEP.	For	additional	information	about	PEPs,	see	
Volume	1,	Chapter	1	and	Volume	2,
Chapter	2	of	the	FSA	Handbook.
Institutions	that	participated	in	the	Second	Chance	Pell	(SCP)	experiment	under	the	Experimental	Sites	Initiative	(ESI)
were	invited	to	apply	to	participate	in	a	revised	version	of	the	experiment.	The	revised	SCP	program	allows	institutions
participating	in	the	experiment	as	of	July	1,	2023,	to	continue	offering	their	current	programs	to	confined	or	incarcerated
individuals	for	up	to	three	award	years	while	they	work	through	the	application	and	approval	process	for	the	PEP(s)	they
wish	to	offer	under	the	new	provisions.	See	Electronic	Announcement	GENERAL-23-25	for	additional	information.	The
revised	SCP	experiment	will	end	on	June	30,	2026;	schools	will	not	be	permitted	to	disburse	Pell	Grant	funds	under	the
experiment	beyond	the	2025-26	award	year.
Cost	of	Attendance	for	Incarcerated	Students
The	cost	of	attendance	for	students	who	are	incarcerated	may	include	the	following:	tuition,	fees,	books,	course	materials,
supplies,	equipment,	and	the	cost	of	obtaining	a	license,	certification,	or	a	first	professional	credential.	For	more
information	on	the	cost	of	attendance,	see	
Volume	3,	Chapter	2	of	the	FSA	Handbook.
Confined	or	incarcerated	individuals	may	not	receive	Pell	Grant	funds	for	more	than	their	cost	of	attendance	and	may	not
receive	a	Title	IV	credit	balance.	To	ensure	that	all	allowable	costs	are	included	in	the	cost	of	the	attendance,	schools
must	include	books,	course	materials,	equipment,	and	supplies	as	part	of	institutional	charges	and	either	provide	those
materials	directly	to	the	individual	or	include	the	costs	of	books	and	supplies	in	the	individual9s	tuition	and	fees.	If	a	credit
balance	is	created,	the	school	must	return	the	Pell	Grant	funds	associated	with	the	credit	balance	to	the	Department	and
it	will	be	credited	to	the	student's	remaining	Pell	eligibility.
Maximum	Pell	Grant	Eligibility	for	Dependents	of	Certain	Deceased	Servicemembers	and	Public	Safety	Officers
Students	who	meet	the	eligibility	requirements	for	Pell	Grants	under	the	Special	Rule	in	HEA	Section	401(c)	will	receive	a
maximum	Pell	Grant	award,	regardless	of	their	calculated	SAI.	To	receive	a	Pell	Grant	based	on	eligibility	under	the
Special	Rule,	a	student	must	be:
34	CFR	690.11
HEA	Section	401(d)(3)
Pell	Eligibility	for	Incarcerated	Students
34	CFR	668,	Subpart	P	3	Requirements	for	prison	education	programs
34	CFR	690.62(b)(1)	3	Prohibition	on	issuance	of	credit	balances	for	confined	or	incarcerated	individuals
Dear	Colleague	Letter	GEN-23-05	3	Eligibility	of	Confined	or	Incarcerated	Individuals	to	Receive	Pell	Grants
Prison	Education	Programs	3	FSA	Partners	Knowledge	Center	Resources
Prison	Education	Programs	3	Questions	and	Answers
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