July 1, 2023, marked a historic moment for prison education. As a result of the FAFSA Simplification Act and for the first time since 1994, people in prison once again have broad access to Pell Grants to help support pursuing a postsecondary education. However, many prospective students will be denied access to Pell due to past student loans being in default.

FICGN is hosting a virtual panel discussion where we will hear from practitioners and policy advocates about the current state of incarcerated students in loan default and its impact on Pell restoration.

Join us for our transformative virtual panel series, “Access Denied Part 3: The Fight for Equal Access,” where advocates and policymakers unite to address the profound challenges faced by incarcerated and newly-released students burdened by student loan defaults. Our main objective is to illuminate how current Financial Aid policies stifle the aspirations of incarcerated students and enlighten our network on actionable steps to bring about policy changes that alleviate this burden.

As part of the broader Access Denied Series, our key objectives remain focused on amplifying this issue more broadly to practitioners and decision-makers with the ultimate goal of arriving at equitable and just solutions to helping student loan borrowers in prison reclaim agency over their educational journey.

Moderated by Luis Mattei, FICGN

Panelists Include: 

• Aaron Smith, Savi Co-founder
• Charlotte West, Journalist, “Open Campus”
• Ryan Moser, Formerly Incarcerated Freelance Journalist
• Persis Yu, Deputy Executive Director and Managing Counsel, Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC)
• Sheila Meiman, Prison Education Specialist, NASFAA

Register Here