Sponsor says AB153 will expand access to FAFSA support for incarcerated students; committee hears data from prison education program

Assemblymember Bridal Miller told the Assembly Committee on Education that Assembly Bill 153 would expand access to information and assistance for incarcerated adults who wish to pursue college and vocational programs by ensuring correctional facilities provide FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) support and career planning.

The bill sponsor said the measure is permissive in design: facilities would be required to make information and assistance available and may coordinate with colleges, universities, and library districts to run events such as FAFSA nights. The sponsor said the program is intended to target adults in Department of Corrections facilities, though juvenile facilities could be included. She also said the bill removes K–12 school responsibilities that earlier drafts had included and that assistance should be available at least during an individual’s final year before release or whenever a parole date is set.

During questioning, Emily Testwied, director of programs for the Nevada Department of Corrections, described current activity at Lovelock Correctional Center: 54 students were enrolled in the Pell‑approved prison education program this semester, 52 of them receiving Pell grants; there were 74 people on a waiting list completing FAFSA applications and another 31 on a waitlist who were not in eligible housing. Testwied said she expected 52 current students to continue in the program over the next year and that additional data points could be provided to the committee.

Supporters emphasized workforce and recidivism benefits. Nick Schepack of the Fines and Fees Justice Center said FAFSA assistance inside prisons would broaden educational opportunities. Tom Clark, representing the Nevada Association of School Boards and the Reno‑Sparks Chamber of Commerce, stressed workforce development priorities. Representatives from Western Nevada College, the Nevada Prison Education Project, Return Strong, the Washoe and Clark County public defender offices, and the College of Southern Nevada also testified in support, citing research that participation in prison education programs reduces recidivism and improves reentry outcomes.

Sponsor clarifications and program mechanics The sponsor and staff clarified that the bill requires that information and assistance be provided and available, not that every incarcerated person must apply. The bill’s language calls for facilities to coordinate with higher education providers and to allow assistance to be ongoing; specifics about how events are run (e.g., workshops, in‑person nights, or online assistance) were described as flexible to accommodate security and staffing differences among facilities.

Clarifying details - Lovelock Correctional Center (Great Basin College program): 54 enrolled students, 52 receiving Pell grants; 74 applicants on a waiting list completing FAFSA; 31 others on a waiting list who do not currently reside in eligible housing (Emily Testwied). - Sponsor removed K–12 school obligations from the draft and said facilities’ programming can be administered with existing corrections staff and external partners. - Sponsor emphasized that federal student loans remain unavailable to incarcerated students, though federal student aid programs (including Pell eligibility) expanded access starting in July 2023.

Ending Committee members asked questions and invited public testimony; the hearing record showed broad support from higher education, legal aid and reentry organizations. No committee vote on AB153 was recorded in the transcript; the committee closed the hearing segment and moved to other agenda items.