Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Pell Grants for Prisoners?

    Pell Grants are for students who can't afford college. In the 1990's, America cracked down on crime, and President Bill Clinton signed a ban on Pell Grants for inmates in federal and state prisons. Now President Obama plans to lift the ban — which he's allowed to do in the interests of gathering data. But the data is already in.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Warren Olney • Aug 11, 2015 • 34m Listen

    Pell Grants are for students who can't afford college. In the 1990's, America cracked down on crime, and President Bill Clinton signed a ban on Pell Grants for inmates in federal and state prisons. Now President Obama plans to lift the ban — which he's allowed to do in the interests of gathering data. But the data is already in. With education, former prisoners do better on the outside; they're less likely to be imprisoned again, and that saves taxpayer money. Opponents say students who've never committed crimes are more deserving and they accused Obama of thumbing his nose at Congress.

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    The Value of Giving Prisoners an Education
    1. 1:38China Devalues Its Currency, Most in Two Decades
    2. 8:08Pell Grants for Prisoners?You’re reading this
    3. 42:24What Watts Means 50 Years Later
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Jenny Hamel

      KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Charlotte Duren

      Producer, To the Point/Which Way LA?

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Evan George

      Director of Content, News

    • KCRW placeholder

      Josh Mitchell

      Wall Street Journal

    • KCRW placeholder

      Vivian Nixon

      College and Community Fellowship

    • KCRW placeholder

      Roger Pilon

      Cato Institute

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    The Value of Giving Prisoners an Education
    1. 1:38China Devalues Its Currency, Most in Two Decades
    2. 8:08Pell Grants for Prisoners?You’re reading this
    3. 42:24What Watts Means 50 Years Later
    Back to To the Point