The Secretary establishes regulations for Federal Pell Grants (Pell Grants or Pell) for Prison Education Programs (PEPs), to implement the statutory requirements in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, that amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), to establish Pell Grant eligibility for a confined or incarcerated individual enrolled in a PEP.
These regulations are a result of negotiated rulemaking and added new Title IV regulations to especially in Subpart P of 34 CFR 668.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 added section 484(t) to the HEA to formally establish Pell Grant eligibility for confined or incarcerated individuals, as long as they are enrolled in a PEP as defined under the HEA. The regulations implement the statutory requirements allowing access to Federal Pell Grants for individuals who are confined or incarcerated when enrolled in programs that meet necessary standards.
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Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before December 24, 2025.