By Trish Svoboda

In October, a team from ABC’s Nightline visited Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) to interview Barton Community College students, learning about their educational journey and advocating for Pell Grants for residents.

Pell Grants are a form of federal financial aid awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need

In 1994, Congress revoked Pell Grant access for residents, only to reinstate these benefits in 2020 with the passage of the FAFSA Simplification Act under the Second Chance Pell program.

Focusing on the Second Chance Pell initiative, the ABC team participated in ECF’s annual learning celebration and engaged with Barton students to understand their experiences and the transformative effect of Barton College and the Pell program.

ABC aired the episode on February 5th. The entire Nightline segment, “Inmates Get a Second Chance at Academic Dreams,” can be viewed at abcnews.go.com/Nightline.