Pell Grants For Incarcerated Students Are Coming Soon. But Will Quality Education Follow?

Incarcerated Californians will soon be able to apply for federal Pell Grants to pay for higher education. The change had support across the political spectrum. But even advocates have concerns.

"It has all the ingredients for students to be taken advantage of," said Rebecca Silbert, director of Rising Scholars, a network of California community colleges that provide prison education programs.

Still, Silbert hopes Pell Grants will provide desperately needed funding for incarcerated students who want to earn a bachelor's degree, and entice more schools to offer degree programs in prison.

Currently, most higher education programs in California prisons don't offer more than an associate degree. Until recently, Cal State LA was the only public institution to offer a bachelor's degree program in California prisons. Now, UC Irvine and Cal State Sacramento are launching programs, as well as Pitzer College, which is private.

Studies have shown that prison education programs reduce recidivism and increase job opportunities upon release.

But educators worry that the promise of funding could attract bad actors. They're hoping to work with state leaders and corrections officials to insure that programs offer quality education that leads to a degree.

READ THE FULL STORY:

• Incarcerated Californians Can Soon Get Federal Aid For College. But Students Beware

READ MORE ABOUT CAL STATE LA'S PRISON B.A. PROGRAM:

• How Cal State LA Is Helping Inmates Get Their Second Chance At Freedom

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