# 2026-19235: Jailhouse Pell Grants: Report by NYE or Lose Second-Chance Funding

2026-19235, 2025-26 Award Year Deadline Date for Reports and Other Records Associated With Prison Education Programs Accessing the Federal Pell Grant, is a Federal Register notice from Education Department published 2026-09-21, effective 2026-12-31; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-28).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19235
- As of: 2026-09-28
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-19235
- Title: 2025-26 Award Year Deadline Date for Reports and Other Records Associated With Prison Education Programs Accessing the Federal Pell Grant
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Education Department
- Citation: 91 FR 59770
- Published: 2026-09-21
- Effective: 2026-12-31
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-09-28

## In one line

Jailhouse Pell Grants: Report by NYE or Lose Second-Chance Funding

## Summary

If your school runs education programs for people in prison using Pell Grants, listen up! For the 2025-26 award year, you must send your annual report to the Department of Education by December 31, 2026. This keeps the funding flowing and helps make sure these programs keep giving second chances through education.

## 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.

## Effects PRIA read

- PEP Annual Report Deadline: cost, medium. If your school runs a Prison Education Program that uses Pell Grants, you must submit the Prison Education Program Annual Report to the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System by December 31, 2026. Electronic transactions must be transmitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time and completed and acc…
- Required Report Data: Transfers and Releases: cost, low. The annual Prison Education Program report submitted for the 2025-26 award year must include the transfer and release dates of confined or incarcerated individuals who participated in the program, as required by 34 CFR 668.239. Schools operating PEPs must collect and provide those specific dates in…
- Penalties for Missing the Report: cost, medium. If an institution fails to submit a complete Prison Education Program annual report by the December 31, 2026 deadline, the Department may start adverse actions such as fines or other penalties under subpart G of 34 CFR part 668. Missed or incomplete submissions therefore risk enforcement actions ag…

## Related documents

- [2026-17239](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-17239): Education Department General Administrative Regulations, 2026-08-24
- [2026-17001](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-17001): Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization: The Secretary's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies: Institutional Eligibility Under the High…, 2026-08-20
- [2026-15019](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15019): Rescinding Portions of the Department of Education Title VI Regulations To Align With the Statutory Text and Conform to Executive Order 142…, 2026-07-24
- [2026-13286](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13286): Accountability in Higher Education and Access Through Demand- Driven Workforce Pell: Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) and Ea…, 2026-07-01
- [2026-10013](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-10013): Accountability in Higher Education and Access Through Demand-Driven Workforce Pell: Pell Grant Exclusion Relating to Other Grant Aid; and W…, 2026-05-19
- [2026-08556](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-08556): Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations, 2026-05-01

## Sources
- [2026-19235 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/21/2026-19235/2025-26-award-year-deadline-date-for-reports-and-other-records-associated-with-prison-education)
- [2026-19235 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-21/pdf/2026-19235.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-19234, Notice of Supplemental Funding, Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Eva…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19234)
- [Next: 2026-19236, Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19236)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19235 (as of 2026-09-28).