Those incarcerated in New Mexico may get access to federal funds for college education
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The University of New Mexico’s (UNM) Valencia campus received approval from the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) to serve as a Prison Education Program (PEP) institution. If the program is approved by the U.S. Department of Education, it will allow incarcerated individuals who are enrolled in the program to gain access to federal funding, such as the Pell Grant, for their education.
Additionally, the PEP program guarantees equal access to various student services, which were previously limited to students on traditional campuses, according to NMCD.
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“This new program recognizes the value of education in our prisons,” said NMCD Cabinet Secretary Alisha Tafoya Lucero in a news release. ”It provides the incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to further their education and increase their chances of successful reintegration into society upon release. With everything we do at NMCD, our goal is to build safer communities, and this program is a significant step towards achieving that goal.”
Previously, incarcerated students relied solely on the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship to finance their education.
If UNM-Valencia gets approval from the U.S. Department of Education, it will be the first campus in the state with a PEP designation, thus setting it apart from other institutions that offer college courses to incarcerated individuals in New Mexico.
Research conducted by the RAND Corporation and funded by the Department of Justice has shown that education programs that are provided to incarcerated individuals increase rehabilitation, reduce recidivism, and improve social integration.
“We are proving that there is no wrong door to higher education in New Mexico,” said New Mexico Higher Education Department Cabinet Secretary Stephanie M. Rodriguez in a news release. “Incarcerated individuals will now be able to leverage both state and federal scholarships to ensure they have the opportunity to reach higher and ensure they can achieve success in their communities when they are out. Higher education for people of all backgrounds creates a positive contribution to New Mexico’s workforce and economy.”
The implementation of this program is a direct result of a new federal policy signed into law in December 2020 and went into effect in July 2023. The law requires a “confined or incarcerated individual” to enroll in an eligible prison education program (PEP) in order to access a Federal Pell Grant.
To learn more about PEP, click here.
