As students navigate their education and related finances here at Sinclair, they may hear about Pell Grants. These grants are given to students that “display exceptional financial need.” However, not everyone who is in need is able to get a Pell Grant – this includes incarcerated individuals.
Much of this has to do with a 1994 bill that ultimately changed the focus of education for incarcerated individuals in Ohio. Instead of offering degree programs, institutions now had to focus on preparing people for employment.
However, in December 2020, a bill passed that will allow incarcerated students to receive Pell funding once again. This will begin in July of next year.
According to a recent article on Sinclair’s website, over 5,000 incarcerated individuals are enrolled in classes at the college. Through the Advanced Job Training Program (AJT), these students have access to several certificates and degrees.
Recently, Sinclair was awarded a grant to help AJT do more. The grant comes from two nonprofits – Jobs for the Future (JFF) and Ascendium Education Group – as part of their Ready for Pell Initiative. The Ready for Pell Initiative is designed to help people work through obtaining their assistance.
The Clarion spoke to Cheryl Taylor, the Chief Officer of AJT at Sinclair, about what this grant will mean for the school.
This process began with an application submission to JFF and Ascendium. Sinclair was required to include information such as the area and number of students served, what is offered to those students, and what the college would use the grant for. Taylor stated that the most difficult part of it all was “how much to include. We always want to include what’s required but not get too deep in the weeds unless it is requested.”
Though Sinclair is excited to receive the funding, there is much to be done to prepare the college and AJT to make the best of all these changes and opportunities. Taylor used the term “checks and balances,” explaining that programming will need to fit guidelines set by the Department of Education and Federal Financial Aid.
This partnership with JFF and Ascendium will provide Sinclair with nearly $120,000 to go toward postsecondary education for incarcerated individuals. The funding will open many doors for these students and make a difference in their lives after incarceration.
Taylor said that the grant will not only help increase enrollment for Sinclair but also “enable SCC to do more of ‘finding the need and endeavoring to meet it’ by serving an underserved population.”
You can learn more about JFF and Ascendium on their respective websites. If you or someone you know would benefit from these types of services, you can visit Sinclair’s page for Citizens Re-entering the Workforce.
Carly Webster
Reporter