CREP Awarded Grant to Assist in Inmate Higher Education Pilot Project

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) has been awarded a two-year grant to evaluate higher education learning among Tennessee inmates, continuing their work in advancing education in vulnerable populations.

The CREP team which includes Dr. Todd Zoblotsky (PI), Dr. Mojtaba Khajeloo (Co-PI), and Robert McKinney (Project Manager), will be the evaluators of the Student Resource Initiative, a pilot project with the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI). The three will evaluate THEI financial literacy resources and support within seven Prison Education Programs (PEP) in the state, intended to address gaps in inmates’ access to information and financial aid, on top of barriers to the college application process.

Zoblotsky explained, “We’ll be giving a pre and post survey to participating students to determine their current knowledge of college financial aid, Pell grants and their experience with the financial aid application process and conduct a focus group at the end to get more detailed information on their experiences.”

“Many low-income incarcerated college students will soon be eligible for Pell grants for the first time in 30 years, and increasing the access these students have to high quality financial aid literacy resources is imperative to ensuring they are treated with dignity and equity, and to ensuring students aren't making uninformed decisions with possible long-term financial or educational consequences,” THEI explained in their proposal narrative for this project.

The rationale behind the reintroduction of Pell grants is that with the means to pay for a college education, inmates may become qualified for good paying jobs upon their release and may be less likely to reoffend and return to prison. CREP will also be getting feedback from in-state partners, among them the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC), Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). If the program is a success, THEI will work to distribute their results to PEPs across the country.

“We’re honored to support THEI’s work to help incarcerated students seeking to improve their lives and forge a better, more productive future for themselves,” Zoblotsky said.

The higher education institutions who currently have PEPs through THEI are Belmont University, Lane College, Dyersburg State CC, Nashville State CC and Roane State CC. CREP is a research institute within the University of Memphis College of Education.

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