Prisoners will now be allowed to apply for federal student aid in the form of Pell grants after Congress rescinded a ban in place since 1994, PBS NewsHour reports.
The $1.4 trillion government spending bill Congress passed last week along with coronavirus relief includes a measure that restores Pell grant funding for those who are incarcerated in state and federal prisons.
Arkansas Secretary of Corrections Solomon Graves hailed the decision in a statement to NBC affiliate KARK in Little Rock.
"I am thrilled that offenders in Arkansas, and across the nation, will again be able to benefit from Pell Grants," Graves said. "Reversing the ban on Pell Grants for prisoners is a significant step toward making higher education and career technical education a reality for a larger share of our population and substantially increasing offenders' chances of one day becoming productive returning members of our communities.
"Expanding access to higher education will greatly advance our mission to be a public safety resource for Arkansas families by providing professional management solutions and evidence-based rehabilitative initiatives for offenders."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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