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63-549: The Bard Prison Initiative was founded by undergraduates at Bard College in 1999, after access to Pell Grants was eliminated for incarcerated people in the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act , shutting down most prison education programs around the country. BPI launched as a pilot with 16 students in 2001. Its first associate degrees were issued in 2005 and the first bachelor’s degrees in 2008. Since 2001, BPI has issued more than 50,000 credits and over 760 degrees; it offers more than 160 courses per academic year. BPI

126-490: A Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, it was renamed in 1980 in honor of Democratic U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island . A Pell Grant is generally considered the foundation of a student's financial aid package, to which other forms of aid are added. The Federal Pell Grant program is administered by the United States Department of Education , which determines the student's financial need and through it,

189-547: A FAFSA even if they also apply for education and housing benefits offered by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and its accompanying Yellow Ribbon program. The amount of military aid a student receives for a college education does not defer eligibility or reduce the amount of student aid that student could receive from the four federal grant programs – Pell , SMART, FSEOG , and TEACH – and many of the state student aid programs. Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) of 2010 changed

252-515: A completed FAFSA form, it can be done in step 3 of the application, in the "Make corrections to a processed FAFSA" section. When the student completes or updates the FAFSA application, answers to questions determine eligibility for the Pell Grant, among other government grants and funding. After the initial FAFSA application is submitted, the student is notified by email or regular postal delivery if funding

315-481: A free service, provides template letters for college students to use when appealing their financial aid. Currently, students can only list ten schools on their FAFSA application. If students are applying to more than 10 colleges or universities, there are three options they can choose from that allow them to submit their FAFSA application to additional schools. Federal Student Aid offers several different types of financial aid programs. FAFSA originally came from

378-506: A movie was being developed by Warner Brothers about BPI’s 2015 debate with Harvard. The BPI Debate Union was founded in 2013 and has debated universities and colleges such as Brown University , the University of Pennsylvania , Morehouse College , and the University of Cambridge . As of 2023, BPI’s Debate Union had won twelve debates and lost four. BPI is also the home of the Consortium for

441-443: A second offense. Most students who are eligible to receive federal aid and complete the FAFSA will receive some form of financial aid regardless of their financial need. The FAFSA is made available to the public on October 1 every year for the future academic year. Since the 2017–2018 academic year , it becomes available on October 1 every year. The US Department of Education made the FAFSA available earlier to more closely align

504-616: A stand-alone program of gift aid but instead was linked with the Basic Grant Program. In 1978, the Middle Income Student Assistance Act of 1978 ( MISAA ) was signed into act by President Jimmy Carter . This bill provides more generous Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, Pell Grants to low-income students, and makes students from families with incomes up to about $ 25,000 eligible. An additional 1.5 million students from middle-income families became eligible for

567-475: A student can receive is calculated for an award year. An award year is a period from July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the next year. The scheduled award is partially determined using the student's expected family contribution (EFC), which the program calculates from the information the student and family provided in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The result is the maximum amount

630-472: Is $ 7,395. The maximum amount of the grant usually depends on the EFC and several other factors, including cost of attendance, the amount of time the student plans to attend college, whether it is a full academic year, and whether one is a full-time or part-time student. Once one has been considered eligible, the money can be obtained a couple of ways: the student's school can apply Pell Grant funds to school costs, pay

693-504: Is awarded. Copies of the confirmation sheet should be made for personal records. The U.S. Department of Education has a standard formula that it uses to evaluate the information that each person supplies when applying for the Pell Grant. The formula used was created by Congress from criteria submitted through the FAFSA form. The formula produces a number that is called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which determines

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756-476: Is different from CSS Profile (short for "College Scholarship Service Profile"), which is also required by some colleges (primarily private ones). The CSS is a fee-based product of the College Board (a private non-profit organization) and is used by the colleges to distribute their own institutional funds, rather than federal or state funding. In order to receive federal student financial aid, students must meet

819-452: Is incarcerated in any Federal or State penal institution." Prisoners first became eligible for basic grant funding in 1972. As the principal design of the Pell Grant was to help low-income individuals attain post-secondary education, including prisoners was consistent with the goal. The grant aimed to reach those who might not otherwise have an opportunity to enroll in college study or vocational training programs. Including prisoners for funding

882-618: Is mandatory. The FY 2010 appropriation amount includes $ 5,299,816,000 in indefinite mandatory funds. The FY 2011 appropriation above includes $ 13,500,000,000 in mandatory funds to help reduce discretionary need and $ 5,218,184,000, which is the estimate of indefinite mandatory funds needed. Amount of Aid Available: $ 35,772,935,000 Amount of Aid Available represents the amount of funds to be awarded to participants in this program. Number of New Awards Anticipated: 9,413,000 Average New Award: $ 3,800 Range of New Awards: $ 555–$ 5,550 Amount of Aid Available: $ 32,295,226,000 Amount of Aid Available represents

945-483: Is one of fewer than 14% of college in prison programs that offers reentry services in and outside of prison for its students and alumni. BPI is the subject of College Behind Bars , a 2019 documentary executive produced by Ken Burns and directed by Lynn Novick . That same year, College Behind Bars was screened at the New York Film Festival . In 2020, College Behind Bars was nominated for an Emmy under

1008-484: The FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020 . Some of these changes were initially plagued with technical errors and glitches, causing significant delays in the release of data to colleges and universities and considerable confusion and frustration among parents and students. Students from disadvantaged groups and low-income backgrounds are among the vulnerable student demographics who were disproportionately impacted by

1071-544: The House in February 2011 and cut about $ 60 billion from the federal budget. The changes would take effect for the 2011–2012 school year, decreasing the maximum amount of aid for the most needy students from $ 5,550 to $ 4,705 a year; in addition, about 1.7 million students who receive smaller Pell Grants would become ineligible for the program. Approval for the cuts is not certain because of long-standing bipartisan support from

1134-507: The Senate . As of April 6, 2011, funds have not been approved, as the Senate has not voted to pass this legislation. The program provided grants ranging from $ 555-$ 5,550 to over 9 million students in 2011–2012, with awards totaling $ 33,575,066,024. In August 2022, President Joe Biden announced that up to $ 20,000 of debt would be canceled for Pell Grant recipients. The application process requires

1197-554: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (VCCLEA), a provision of which revoked Pell Grant funding "to any individual who is incarcerated in any federal or state penal institution." A provision of this Act overturned a section of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which created the Pell Grant for postsecondary education. The provision reads, "No basic grant shall be awarded under this subpart to any individual who

1260-622: The 1965 Higher Education Act (HEA) by President Lyndon Johnson , this established the United States Government as the primary provider of financial aid for students. For years the application was called Financial Aid Form (FAF), which was an optional form used by some—but not all—colleges and universities. When Congress reauthorized the HEA in 1992 they created a standardized federal form for all prospective students seeking aid. The stated goal of FAFSA and other government funded education programs

1323-420: The 2017–2018 academic year, the top three funded universities by total grant money were CUNY ($ 638 million), SUNY ($ 323 million), and the University of Phoenix ($ 197 million); three of the top ten funded colleges were for-profit colleges . Today, the Pell Grant program assists undergraduates of low-income families, who are actively attending universities and or other secondary institutions. However, before

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1386-679: The Bard Baccalaureate – a full scholarship non-residential bachelor’s degree program for adult students over the age of 25 on Bard’s campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. Pell Grant A Pell Grant is a subsidy the U.S. federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with exceptional financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree , or who are enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs, through participating institutions. Originally known as

1449-469: The Basic Grants program. Starting in 1978, families were able to borrow $ 300 a year for each dependent child in school regardless of income. Several changes to the program occurred in 2011. The maximum award amount for the 2011–2012 award year is $ 5,500. Despite a shortened application process, fewer funds for the 2011–2012 program could lead to financial problems for many students. The government funded

1512-619: The Department of Education employee in charge of Federal Student Aid, subsequently announced his resignation at the end of June. In order to fill out the FAFSA, parents and students must create an FSA ID. Inconsistent personal information caused problems for some individuals surrounding ID verification, including errors in names, addresses, and other information, which has led to delays in the processing of applications for financial assistance. Students from disadvantaged groups and low-income backgrounds are thought to be disproportionately impacted by

1575-523: The HEA program, by receiving federal aid to improve the quality of the education process. Student aid programs administered by the US Department of Education are contained in Title IV of the HEA and so are called "Title IV Programs." In 1972, Title IX Higher Education Amendments were a response to the distribution of aid in the current grant. Senator Claiborne Pell set forth the initial movements to reform

1638-472: The HEA. Lois Rice , an American corporate executive, scholar and education policy expert is known as the "mother of the Pell Grant" for her work lobbying for its creation. Opportunity Grant Program (Basic Grant) were intended to serve as the "floor" or "foundation" of an undergraduate student's financial aid package. Other financial aid, to the extent that it was available, would be added to the Basic Grant up to

1701-678: The IRS Data Retrieval Tool in the FAFSA to verify their tax information without a delay from the IRS processing tax information. Some financial aid is provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and students are encouraged to submit a FAFSA as soon as possible. According to the U.S. Department of Education's website, students have three options for filling out the form: The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 authorized fee-based FAFSA preparation. By law, fee-based FAFSA preparation services must on initial contact with students inform them of

1764-1285: The Liberal Arts in Prison, which recruits, assists, and collaborates with colleges and universities across the country as they reestablish college opportunity for people in prison in their home states. In 2019 BPI launched the BPI Summer Residency which trains educators and practitioners to expand college in prison nationally. Since 2016 BPI has established full scholarship “Microcolleges” outside of prison where non-residential students earn Bard associate degrees in small campus spaces built inside partner community institutions. The three Bard Microcolleges are: Bard Microcollege Holyoke in Massachusetts, established in 2016 at The Care Center; Bard at Brooklyn Public Library , established in 2018 at Central Library in Brooklyn New York; and The Bard Microcollege for Just Community Leadership established in Harlem in 2021 in partnership with JustLeadershipUSA and College & Community Fellowship. In 2020, BPI also created

1827-551: The Lifetime Eligibility Used by adding the percentages of the Pell Grant scheduled awards a student receives each award year. Free Application for Federal Student Aid The Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA ) is a form completed by current and prospective college students ( undergraduate and graduate ) in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid . The FAFSA

1890-692: The Pell Grant became what it is today, it went through numerous changes. In 1965, Congress passed the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). President Lyndon B. Johnson implemented the HEA as a part of his administration's agenda to assist and improve higher education in the United States. It was the initial legislation to benefit lower- and middle-income students. The HEA program included not only grants but also low-interest loans to students who did not qualify for grants. Universities and other institutions, such as vocational schools, benefited as well from

1953-423: The aid only for education-related purposes, that they are not currently in default for any federal student loans, and that they owe no refund for any federal education grants. The Pell Grant also requires that students maintain satisfactory academic progress in a degree-oriented program as defined by the school they attend. A person may be eligible if previously incarcerated but with limited eligibility, depending on

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2016-615: The amount for FY 2008 includes $ 2 billion in mandatory funds. Note: The amounts for FY 2008 and FY 2009 include $ 2,000,000,000 and $ 2,100,000,000, respectively, in mandatory funds. In addition, the $ 17,114,000,000 in 70 U .S. Department of Education Recovery Act funds includes $ 1,474,000,000 in mandatory funds, of which 831,000,000 is for use in academic year 2010–11. Note: The amount for FY 2009 includes $ 2,090,000,000 in definite mandatory funds and $ 16,283,000,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds, of which $ 643,000,000

2079-479: The amount of funds awarded to participants in the Federal Student Aid programs. Depending upon the program, this total may include federal appropriated dollars, institutional or state matching dollars, and federal or private loan capital. Number of New Awards Anticipated: 5,339,000 Average New Award: $ 2,620 Range of New Awards: $ 400–$ 4,310 The scheduled award is the maximum amount of Federal Pell Grant funding

2142-420: The amount of funds awarded to participants in the Federal Student Aid programs. Depending upon the program, this total may include federal appropriated dollars, institutional or state matching dollars, and federal or private loan capital. Number of New Awards Anticipated: 5,578,000 Average New Award: $ 2,945 Range of New Awards: $ 400–$ 4,731 Amount of Aid Available: $ 13,989,305,000 Amount of Aid Available represents

2205-668: The amount of funds to be awarded to participants in this program. Number of New Awards Anticipated: 8,355,000 Average New Award: $ 3,865 Range of New Awards: $ 555–$ 5,550 Amount of Aid Available: $ 25,328,889,000 Amount of Aid Available represents the amount of funds awarded to participants in the Federal Student Aid programs. Depending upon the program, this total may include federal appropriated dollars, institutional or state matching dollars, and federal or private loan capital. Number of New Awards Anticipated: 7,022,000 Average New Award: $ 3,611 Range of New Awards: $ 486–$ 5,350 Amount of Aid Available: $ 16,428,110,000 Amount of Aid Available represents

2268-454: The application. After completing the FAFSA, students are presented with a Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR provides a student with their potential eligibility for different types of financial aid, their Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and a summary of the data a student provided in the application. An electronic version of the SAR (called an ISIR) is made available to the colleges/universities

2331-421: The criteria for suspension of eligibility for drug-related offenses. Previously, students could lose eligibility for either the possession or sale of a controlled substance during the period of enrollment. SAFRA dropped the penalties for possession of a controlled substance but retained the penalties for sale of a controlled substance. SAFRA increases the suspension to two years for a first offense and indefinite for

2394-686: The executive level, the Obama administration backed a program at the Department of Education that would have allowed for a limited lifting of the ban for some prisoners called the Second Chance Pell Pilot. The ban was lifted by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 . The Higher Education Amendments of 1972 reauthorized the three campus-based programs, leaving the Economic Opportunity Grant Program with

2457-614: The following criteria: Male students between the ages of 18 and 25 were generally required be registered with the Selective Service System (for Conscription in the United States ), but the FAFSA Simplification Act removed this requirement starting with the 2021–2022 school year. The FAFSA Simplification Act was a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 . Students who are military veterans and active duty service members may apply for financial aid by filing

2520-403: The free option and be transparent about their non-affiliation with the U.S. Department of Education and their fees. Applicants complete the FAFSA by providing their demographic and financial information and, in many cases, the demographic and financial information of their parents/guardians. In addition to this demographic and financial information, applicants can list up to ten schools to receive

2583-423: The full award. A student might not receive the entire scheduled award for an award year, most commonly if the student did not enroll for the full year, did not enroll full-time, or both. If the student does not receive the full award, ED calculates the percentage of the scheduled award they received. Before the 2011-2012 Aid Year, the FAFSA limit was 18 semesters, but it was cut to 12 semesters by Congress. ED tracks

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2646-428: The grant or loan money toward a student's tuition , fees, and (if the student lives on campus) room and board . Any money left over is paid to the student for other expenses: books, living expenses if the student does not live on campus, and transportation. Students coming from low-income families already face increased challenges that hinder their ability to receive a higher education. The Pell Grant addresses one of

2709-495: The issues by making college accessible to students that may need the financial assistance. It has been shown to increase the college enrollment of students coming from lower and moderate-income families. It can also reduce the chances of them dropping out. There have been advocacy efforts to reinstate prisoner eligibility for Pell grants as a preventative to re-incarceration. In 1997, one study on 3,200 prisoners in three states showed that receiving education while incarcerated reduced

2772-593: The likelihood of re-incarceration by 29 percent. Lynn Novick , the director of "College Behind Bars" and a collaborator with Ken Burns , recently wrote in the Seattle Times about how access to college education in prison was markedly reduced: "Higher education in prison was commonplace in America until 1994, when the Clinton Crime Bill banned federal Pell Grants for people in prison. Overnight, college behind bars

2835-461: The limit of a student's financial need. Most changes to the federal student aid program result from a process called reauthorization . Through the process of reauthorization, Congress examines the status of each program and decides whether to continue that program and whether a continued program requires changes in structure or purpose. Congress has reauthorized campus-based programs every five or six years, beginning in 1972. In 1994, Congress passed

2898-429: The offense. Students must not have an outstanding Pell overpayment on record. Additionally, an applicant may not receive Pell Grant funds from more than one college at a time. As with all grants, there is a maximum amount that the government funds for each applicant. The maximum amount for the 2022–2023 award year is $ 6,845. The maximum Federal Pell Grant for the 2023–24 award year (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024)

2961-414: The option to link their IRS account with their FAFSA account to make the application simpler to complete accurately. Students must now report the value of their family business or farm. The Consolidated Appropriations Act also opened financial aid eligibility to students that had previously been excluded from the program. In 2024, the Department of Education made substantial changes to FAFSA in response to

3024-472: The program at $ 17.1 billion from 2008 to 2010, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 . However, the additional funding does not match the needs of increasing numbers of students who enroll in college and qualify for aid through the recession. The Pell Grant program was subject to a $ 5.7 billion decrease in funding as part of a continuing resolution (H.R. 1), which cleared

3087-449: The results of the application once it is processed. Historically, there was some concern that colleges could deny admission, waitlist applicants, or offer less financial aid as a result of the order in which applicants list schools on the application, or FAFSA position . However, the US Department of Education changed the FAFSA for the 2016–2017 academic year to prevent schools from having access to view other schools that may be listed on

3150-732: The same name, but renaming the two others: the National Defense Student Loan Program became the National Direct Student Loan or Federal Direct Student Loan Program and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program ( SEOG ). In addition, for-profit schools became eligible to use Title IV Funds. Also, the Educational Opportunity Grant Program was changed to no longer function as

3213-474: The student and the student's family complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA ) form. The applicant should complete the FAFSA form for the first time prior to starting the freshman undergraduate year and then update the form each year as the applicant progresses through the college undergraduate term. The first step in applying for the Pell Grant is to complete or update the FAFSA form on or after October 1 of each year. If an applicant must correct

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3276-436: The student can receive for the award year if enrolled full-time for the full school year. It represents 100% of the Pell Grant eligibility for that award year. To determine how much of the maximum six years (600%) of Pell Grant the student uses each year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) compares the actual amount awarded for the award year with the scheduled award amount for that award year. A student who uses 100% receives

3339-421: The student directly, usually by check, or combine these methods. The school must tell the student in writing how much the award will be and how and when it will be paid, and it must disburse Pell Grant funds once a semester/term or twice during the academic year. Under certain circumstances, Pell funds can also be used to fund Career Pathways programs and support services. Typically, the college first applies

3402-444: The student includes on the FAFSA. The ISIR is also sent to state agencies that award need-based aid. Students can file an appeal with their college financial aid office in order to seek additional financial aid if their current financial situation is no longer the same as the financial information they provided on FAFSA (i.e. their parent recently lost their job). The exact appeal process can vary from school to school. SwiftStudent ,

3465-695: The student's Pell eligibility. The U.S. Department of Education uses a standard formula to evaluate financial information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for determining the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Pell Grants were created by the Higher Education Act of 1965 . These federal funded grants are not loans, and need not be repaid. Students may use their grants at any one of approximately 5,400 participating postsecondary institutions. These federally funded grants help about 5.4 million full-time and part-time college and vocational school students nationally. As of

3528-435: The student's eligibility. This grant requires each applicant to be an undergraduate student who has not yet earned a bachelor's degree, and a United States citizen or an eligible non-citizen (usually, a permanent resident). In addition, the applicant must have a high school diploma or a GED or be able to demonstrate the ability to benefit from the program. Applicants must also sign a statement certifying that they will use

3591-405: The technical obstacles. These students might not have access to the tools or assistance they need to deal with the challenges of submitting a financial aid application. The problems with the FAFSA resulted in a congressional hearing where witnesses reported that the multiple errors and delays in releasing data to colleges and universities could significantly diminish enrollment. Richard Cordray ,

3654-544: The timing of the financial aid application process with the typical college application process. The FAFSA Deadline Act in 2024 made the October availability date part of the law. The 2016–2017 academic year was the final time the FAFSA was not made available until January 1. Two-year old US tax information is used to complete the financial sections of the FAFSA beginning with the 2017–2018 academic year. This change in using "prior-prior tax year" information enables families to use

3717-437: The “Outstanding Social Issue Documentary” category. It also won a gold Telly Award in 2020 for “Documentary: Series: Television.” As of 2023, the docuseries has been screened at more than fifty higher education institutions and many jails and prisons in the United States. In 2015, BPI made international news when its debate union won in a match against the debate team from Harvard University . In 2018, Deadline announced that

3780-434: Was a significant barrier for many low-income families seeking financial aid. The questions were broadly seen as excessively detailed and unnecessarily complicated, with students being required to dedicate several hours to completing their application. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 shortened the FAFSA from 108 questions to 36, to encourage more eligible students to fill out the form. In addition, students now have

3843-530: Was based on the notion that higher education improved the lives of inmates, reduced recidivism, and contributed to a more orderly institution. There has been some advocacy for reinstating Pell Grant funding for all prisoners who would qualify, despite their incarceration status, by members of the House of Representatives who introduced the Restoring Education and Learning Act (REAL Act) in the spring of 2014. At

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3906-536: Was decimated. Privately funded programs like the one we visited, the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), slowly sprang up, but they do not begin to fill the enormous need." She argues that access to education may help reduce the high recidivism rates of 50-60% and reports that "Of the 600 BPI alumni who have been released in the past 20 years, only 4% have gone back to prison." Note: The amount for FY 2006 includes $ 4.3 billion to retire prior-year funding shortfalls;

3969-499: Was to create equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. When the HEA was reauthorized again in 2008 lawmakers added a clause that schools must report information about who is receiving financial aid. Subsequent studies revealed continued inequality for students of color, who often had to take out more student loans than more privileged counterparts. Recent updates have been made to increase accessibility of financial aid. The original FAFSA form had 108 questions, which

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