Can You Get Financial Aid With a Felony?

Rebuilding your life after a criminal conviction can seem challenging. If you are interested in pursuing higher education, earning a postgraduate degree can be a worthwhile investment in learning new skills and enhancing your earning potential.

However, college can be costly. Fortunately, many options are available to help you pay for those upcoming costs, including student loans and aid such as grants and scholarships.

Read on to learn what scholarships and grants are available for students with felony records and how they can qualify for financial aid.

Yes, you can still attend college with a felony.

There are no legal restrictions that prevent you from attending college with a felony record. However, having a criminal history may lower your chances of acceptance if you aim for a more competitive school.

More than two-thirds of colleges require prospective students to submit information about their criminal history during the application process, according to a 2019 study. Convictions related to violent or sexual offenses are some of the most common reasons for an automatic admissions rejection.

You should not lie about your criminal record when applying to college. Research whether prospective institutions accept students with a criminal history. Schools with a high acceptance rate, such as community colleges, may be more likely to accept students with felony convictions.

Being convicted of a felony does not prevent you from being eligible to receive financial aid, including federal assistance, scholarships, loans, and grants.

Yes, you can file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with a felony record, though certain types of aid may be limited.

If you ‘re confined or incarcerated in a federal or state facility, you may be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant if enrolled in an approved prison education program. The school must initiate the process for eligible incarcerated students to receive Pell Grants.

However, incarcerated students are ineligible for federal student loans. However, if you are no longer incarcerated, you are eligible for the same student aid programs as other students, adds Mark Kantrowitz, a student financial aid expert. “Those on probation or parole may also be eligible for federal student aid.”

Past drug convictions no longer impact federal student aid eligibility. Questions about drug convictions have been removed from the FAFSA, and the eligibility restrictions have been repealed. Additionally, individuals undergoing involuntary civil commitment for a sexual offense may also be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant.

Two types of student loans are available for college attendees: federal and private. Once released from prison, most students with felony convictions are eligible for federal student loans.

Private student loans don’t have many restrictions based on criminal history. Instead, lenders want to see a consistent income, employment, and an established credit score. You could get a co-signer to help you secure a private loan.

Scholarships are another way to pay for college using free money. Many scholarship programs do not exclude felons, so it’s worth researching options for which you otherwise qualify.

You may also search for nonprofits that specifically offer scholarships for students with a felony record attending college.

Another option to pay for college is to get a federal work-study job. These part-time job opportunities are available as part of the FAFSA financial aid package.

Your school must participate in the Federal Work-Study Program; jobs are usually on campus.

Additionally, incarcerated students can qualify for federal work-study, though getting a position is unlikely due to the logistical difficulties of performing a work-study job while incarcerated.

The 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, banned Pell Grants for incarcerated people.

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) launched the Second Chance Pell experiment initiative, extending Pell Grant support to incarcerated people enrolled in approved prison education programs. In 2021, ED announced an expansion of the program.

“More than two-thirds of colleges ask a question about prior criminal convictions,” states Kantrowitz, “though the Common App dropped this question in 2019.”

In 2020, Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act, reinstating Pell Grant eligibility for otherwise eligible confined or incarcerated individuals enrolled in eligible prison education programs beginning in 2023 and ending the Second Chance Pell program.

The legislation also eliminated the prior limitations that prohibited individuals under involuntary civil commitment for a sexual offense and those with drug-related convictions from qualifying for Pell Grants.

Many scholarships do not require you to submit your criminal history when applying. Others are specifically designed for students with a felony record. Here are some of the scholarships that are available for students with a felony.