Federal prisons would pair education programs with support after release

The Bureau of Prisons would establish an education office to oversee partnerships between education providers and federal prisons. The partnership program would serve people incarcerated in federal correctional facilities. Federal money could cover no more than 75 percent of an academic program’s total cost. The set-aside would come from money Congress provides to the Bureau of Prisons. The funding clause would set aside $170 million for the partnership program for fiscal years 2027 through 2033, without saying whether that amount applies each year.

Participating education providers would teach basic skills and help students prepare for work and continue school after release. These duties would apply to providers taking part in the federal prison education program. Providers would prioritize training for in-demand jobs students are not legally barred from entering. Providers would explain program requirements that cannot be completed in prison and options for finishing after release.

The Department of Veterans Affairs would help incarcerated veterans use education aid while applying payment limits. Assistance would cover veterans in federal and state prisons; both payment restrictions would apply to those incarcerated with felony convictions. Veterans would still need to meet the education aid program’s eligibility rules. Help connecting veterans to courses would require the prison to offer courses approved for that aid. The payment ban would cover monthly housing stipends under section 3313 and living-cost payments under section 3014 of title 38. Education aid would be reduced by the amount other government programs pay toward the same education costs. Both payment restrictions would apply while those veterans are incarcerated.