MMC Selected for U.S. Department of Education “Second Chance” Pell Pilot Program

In June 2016, the Department of Education announced that Marymount Manhattan was selected after a rigorous and competitive process to participate in the federal government’s Second Chance Pell pilot program. The goal of the program is to test whether participation in high-quality education programs for incarcerated individuals increases after expanding access to financial aid.

The pilot program will allow qualified students in MMC’s Bedford Hills College Program (BHCP) to apply to receive federal Pell Grants. These grants fund postsecondary educational opportunities that are designed to result in postincarceration job placement. Being selected for this program is a strong endorsement of MMC’s close partnership with the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women.

Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women is New York State’s only maximum security-prison for women. Since 1997, MMC has awarded more than 200 academic degrees to incarcerated women through the program.

Fully supported by private donations, women who are incarcerated enroll in college-preparatory courses and courses leading to the Associate of Arts degree in social science and the Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology.

This piece originally appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of MMC Magazine (page 15)

Published: January 06, 2017