Notice2026-19235
2025-26 Award Year Deadline Date for Reports and Other Records Associated With Prison Education Programs Accessing the Federal Pell Grant
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 21, 2026
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
The Department of Education (Department) announces the 2025-26 award year reporting deadline for institutions participating in the Prison Education Programs (PEP) authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). PEPs expand access to programs of study, such as a certificate, degree, or another recognized postsecondary credential for confined or incarcerated individuals. These programs must meet eligibility requirements as outlined in 34 CFR 600 and 34 CFR 668.234. In PEPs must be provided by a Title IV, HEA eligible postsecondary institution that has been approved to operate in correctional facilities by the appropriate State authority of the Bureau of Prisons per 34 CFR 668.235, and ensure programs serve students' best interests, offer transferable credits, and satisfy licensure or certification requirements under 34 CFR 668.236. These PEPs, administered by the Department, provide financial assistance to confined or incarcerated students to help them pay their educational costs. PEPs must submit reports to the Department in accordance with deadlines established and published by the Secretary in the Federal Register. This notice establishes the reporting deadline for the award year. The Federal student aid programs (Title IV, HEA programs) covered by this deadline date notice are the Prison Education Programs accessing the Pell Grant program. Assistance Listing Number: 84.063 Pell Grant Program.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59770-59771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19235]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
2025-26 Award Year Deadline Date for Reports and Other Records
Associated With Prison Education Programs Accessing the Federal Pell
Grant
AGENCY: Federal Student Aid, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) announces the 2025-26
award year reporting deadline for institutions participating in the
Prison Education Programs (PEP) authorized under Title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). PEPs expand access to programs
of study, such as a certificate, degree, or another recognized
postsecondary credential for confined or incarcerated individuals.
These programs must meet eligibility requirements as outlined in 34 CFR
600 and 34 CFR 668.234. In PEPs must be provided by a Title IV, HEA
eligible postsecondary institution that has been approved to operate in
correctional facilities by the appropriate State authority of the
Bureau of Prisons per 34 CFR 668.235, and ensure programs serve
students' best interests, offer transferable credits, and satisfy
licensure or certification requirements under 34 CFR 668.236.
These PEPs, administered by the Department, provide financial
assistance to confined or incarcerated students to help them pay their
educational costs. PEPs must submit reports to the Department in
accordance with deadlines established and published by the Secretary in
the Federal Register. This notice establishes the reporting deadline
for the award year.
The Federal student aid programs (Title IV, HEA programs) covered
by this deadline date notice are the Prison Education Programs
accessing the Pell Grant program.
Assistance Listing Number: 84.063 Pell Grant Program.
DATES: Deadline and Submission Dates: See Table A.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean Addie, U.S. Department of
Education, Federal Student Aid. Address: 77 K St NE, Washington, DC
20202. Telephone: (202) 245-3734. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d182b4b0bfff90b5b5b8b491b4b5ffb6bea7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a7f4c2c6c989e6c3c3cec2e7c2c389c0c8d1">[email protected]</span></a>.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table A--2025-26 Award Year Deadline Date by Which a School Must
Submit their Prison Education Program Annual Report.
Table A provides information and the deadline date for receipt of
the Prison Education Program annual report.
For the 2025-26 Award Year, an institution must submit an annual
report to Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System, no later
than December 31, 2026. In accordance with 34 CFR 668.239, this report
must contain transfer and release dates of confined or incarcerated
individuals who participated in an institution's PEP.
An institution's failure to submit a complete annual report may
result in the initiation of an adverse action, such as a fine or other
penalty for such failure, in accordance with subpart G of the General
Provisions regulations in 34 CFR part 668.
Other Sources for Detailed Information
The Department published a detailed discussion of the PEP
application process in the Federal Student Aid Knowledge Center. The
Department also maintains Q and A's and other resources that provide
information about PEPs. PEPs will also be discussed in the 2026-27
Federal Student Aid Handbook in a forthcoming PEP appendix.
Applicable Regulations: The following regulations apply:
(1) Student Assistance General Provisions, 34 CFR part 668.
(2) Prison Education Programs, 34 CFR part 668, subpart P.
(3) Federal Pell Grant Program, 34 CFR part 690.
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will
provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich
Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file,
braille, large print, audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible
format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is published in the Federal Register. You may access the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations at <a href="http://www.govinfo.gov">www.govinfo.gov</a>. At this site you can view this
document, as well as all other Department documents published in the
Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use
PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access Department documents published in the Federal
Register by using the article search feature at
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a, 1070b et seq., 1070g, 1087a et
seq., 1087 et seq., and 1087-51 et seq.
Wayne Sullivan,
Acting Principal Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
[[Page 59771]]
Table A--2025-26 Award Year Deadline Date by Which an Institution Must Submit the Prison Education Program
Annual Report Form
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What is the deadline
Who submits? What is submitted? Where is it submitted? for receipt?
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Institution........................ Prison Education To the Common Origination December 31, 2026.
Program Annual Report. and Disbursement (COD)
System using the Student
Aid Internet Gateway
(SAIG); or to the COD
System using the COD
website at: <a href="https://cod.ed.gov">https://cod.ed.gov</a>.
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The deadline for electronic transactions is 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) on the deadline date. Transmissions must
be completed and accepted before 12:00 midnight to meet the deadline. We suggest submitting your information at
least 10 days in advance of the deadline. Submissions started before 12:00 midnight but that complete
transmission after 12:00 midnight will not meet the deadline. In addition, any submission made on or just prior
to the deadline that is rejected may not be reprocessed if the deadline passed.
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[FR Doc. 2026-19235 Filed 9-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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