Some 1.5 million people are in state and federal prisons, but for more than two decades they haven’t been eligible for federal Pell Grants. That’s about to change on July 1, 2023, offering an opportunity for incarcerated people and colleges alike. FutureU podcast hosts Michael B. Horn and Jeff Selling talk with a scholar in prison education and a formerly incarcerated student who went on to earn his degree about providing meaningful rehabilitation through a college education.
“I think we’re about to see a radical change in the landscape of enrollment for not just incarcerated adults, but incarcerated youth as well,” says Erin Castro, associate professor of higher education and associate dean of community engagement and access at the University of Utah. “I think this has been a kind of an upward trajectory in what Pell expansion will do, is it will allow for a federal funding stream that has been out of reach for 25 years. So I think we’re going to see many more colleges and universities enter this space.”