Is any financial aid available at UF for those in prison to take correspondence courses?
At the University of Florida (UF), incarcerated students are only eligible to be considered for the Federal Pell Grant Program.
Unless the following conditions are met, UF will be unable to provide financial assistance to help applicants in prison pay educational costs.
- The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 amended the Higher Education Act to provide that students who are incarcerated in federal or state institutions are not eligible to receive Pell Grants.
- Students incarcerated in local penal facilities may still receive Pell Grants; however, the allowable costs of attendance for incarcerated students are limited to tuition and fees and only those books and supplies related to the student’s course of study.
- The correspondence work must lead to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in order for it to qualify for Pell eligibility. Students who meet these eligibility requirements must provide the UF Office for Student Financial Affairs with documentation of their degree-seeking status and the name and address of the facility in which they reside.
- Incarcerated students must register for 12 credit hours of correspondence work and complete the first lesson before they will be eligible for a Pell Grant payment. Registering for 12 credit hours only qualifies the student for a half-time award.
- If the student’s Pell Grant award does not cover the total cost of carrying 12 credit hours (usually it does not), before the Pell award can be paid, the student must remit to the Division of Continuing Education the difference between the Pell award and the actual cost of the courses.
To apply for the Pell Grant, applicants must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. It can be completed on-line or paper versions can be obtained from the federal government by calling the following toll-free number: 1-800-433-3243.