UMA has earned full federal PEP certification, clearing the way for many more incarcerated students to earn a degree.
The 天美传媒 has received official certification from the U.S. Department of Education as a federally approved Prison Education Program. The certification lifts the funding caps UMA operated under for years and expands access to Pell Grants, making it possible for the university to serve many more incarcerated students than it can today.
The restriction it removes is decades old. For nearly 30 years, incarcerated people were denied Pell Grants under a 1994 congressional ban. A later pilot program allowed UMA and other schools to offer Pell-supported courses behind bars, but only under tight restrictions and financial caps. The 2020 FAFSA Simplification Act lifted the ban, though institutions still had to complete a lengthy certification process to qualify. UMA has now cleared it.
For Pamela MacRae, associate provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the significance comes down to reach. “The U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 approval of UMA as a Pell-eligible Prison Education Program marks a transformative milestone for our institution,” she said. “By lifting previous funding caps, this allows us to expand our reach far beyond the students we currently serve. We are proud to work with the MDOC, break down financial barriers for justice-impacted students, and provide life-changing educational pathways that support opportunities for successful community reentry.”
The case for that reach is in the results, as Jonathan Henry, vice president of enrollment and institutional effectiveness, explains. “As a public university, it is our duty to serve Maine citizens and support their educational aspirations. We are proud that this nationally recognized prison education program is altering the lives of hundreds of residents in our correctional facilities. We know from MDOC that the return-to-custody rate of PEP graduates is under 5 percent, whereas statewide the return rate is 25.5 percent over a comparable tracking period. It is strong evidence that a college education is transformative.”
The impact of the program is visible in what students do after graduation. UMA PEP alumnus T. Tyler Thibeau. Named UMA’s 2026 Interdisciplinary Studies Student of the Year, he completed his sentence and his bachelor’s degree, and enrolled in a graduate computer science program at the University of Maine, where he is pursuing both a master’s and a Ph.D. “UMA showed me the light within myself,” he said. “They gave me the space and encouragement to shed toxic layers, rediscover my curiosity and love of learning, and use that to become a researcher working to reduce recidivism.”
At the 2026 PEP commencement, graduate Jomo White looked to the future. “I don’t plan to look for opportunities. I plan to create them. We can accomplish tremendous things beyond these gates.” And Dustin Carpenter, who spent ten long years earning his Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree, expressed his gratitude to the instructors and staff who made reaching this milestone possible. “Thank you for treating our minds as something valuable,” he said.
What began in 2006 as a single classroom funded by one philanthropist now reaches roughly 150 students enrolled across seven MDOC sites, pursuing degrees in business administration, computer information systems, mental health and human services, music, and more. With federal certification now in place, more justice-impacted students than ever can earn a degree and, with it, the foundation to build a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
For more information about the UMA Prison Education Partnership, visit.