Expanding Educational Opportunities for Justice-Impacted Communities Act
This bill provides incarcerated individuals with access to federal financial aid.
Specifically, the bill authorizes participating institutions to award Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals, and it repeals a provision that denies eligibility to individuals convicted of certain drug-related offenses.
The bill also requires the Department of Education to streamline the forms and processes for incarcerated individuals to apply for Pell Grants, and it prohibits any questions relating to whether applicants have convictions for drug-related offenses.
Additionally, the bill requires that institutions offering Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals (1) make certain information available to prospective students, and (2) demonstrate that academic credits earned by incarcerated students are treated by the institution as equivalent to credits earned by non-incarcerated students.