§ 668.238 Application requirements.

(a) An institution that seeks to offer a prison education program must apply to the Secretary to have its first prison education program at the first two additional locations determined to be eligible programs for title IV, HEA program purposes. Following the Secretary's initial approval of an institution's prison education program, additional prison education programs offered by the same postsecondary institution at the same location may be determined eligible without further approvals from the Secretary except as required by 34 CFR 600.7, 600.10, 600.20(c)(1), or 600.21(a), as applicable, if such programs are consistent with the institution's accreditation or its State approval agency requirements.

(b) The institution's prison education program application must provide information satisfactory to the Secretary that includes—

(1) A description of the educational program, including the educational credential offered (degree level or certificate) and the field of study;

(2) Documentation from the institution's accrediting agency or State approval agency indicating that the agency has evaluated the prison education program and has included the program in the institution's grant of accreditation and approval documentation from the accrediting agency or State approval agency;

(3) The name of the correctional facility and documentation from the oversight entity that the prison education program has been approved to operate in the correctional facility;

(4) Documentation detailing the methodology, including thresholds, benchmarks, standards, metrics, data, and other information, the oversight entity used in approving the prison education program and how all the information was collected;

(5) Information about the types of services offered to admitted students, including orientation, tutoring, and academic and reentry counseling. If reentry counseling is provided by a community-based organization that has partnered with the eligible prison education program, institution, or correctional facility to provide reentry services, the application also must provide information about the types of services offered by that community-based organization;

(6) Affirmative acknowledgement that the Secretary can limit or terminate approval of an institution to provide a prison education program as described in § 668.237;

(7) Affirmative agreement to submit all required reports to the Secretary pursuant to § 668.239;

(8) Documentation that the institution has entered into an agreement with the oversight entity to obtain data about transfer and release dates of confined or incarcerated individuals, which will be reported to the Department of Education; and

(9) Such other information as the Secretary deems necessary.

(c) For the second or subsequent eligible prison education program at a location, to meet the requirements under 34 CFR 600.21, an institution must submit—

(1) Documentation from the institution's accrediting agency noting that the institution complies with § 668.236(a)(6) and was not subject in the last five years to any final accrediting action that is an adverse action by the institution's accrediting agency;

(2) Documentation from the institution confirming that it was not subject in the last five years to any State action to revoke a license or other authority to operate; and

(3) Documentation that the institution has entered into an agreement with the oversight entity to obtain data about transfer and release dates of confined or incarcerated individuals, which will be reported to the Department of Education pursuant to § 668.239.


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