San Francisco State University is home to Project Rebound, the only program of its kind in the country. According to Jason Bell, Project Rebound director, the program is known for providing "education as an alternative to incarceration." The project is designed to assist former prison inmates access college. "We provide a full gamut of support," Bell explains. "There are deadlines and paperwork and for someone without support or who has never had access, it can be intimidating." Project Rebound assists clients through every step of the college process from enrolling to graduating.
Los Angeles Community College District does not ask about criminal records on its application, although sex offenders are required to register with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office, which also is contracted to provide policing for the nine college campuses in the district, according to Dr. Lawrence Bradford, vice president of Student Services. "We get everyone," Bradford says. "Our application doesn't ask about felonies. We're pretty much 'don't ask, don't tell.'" However, he does point out that felons with a drug conviction can be denied federal dollars for financial aid.
The application to the University of California Berkeley does not ask questions regarding a student's possible criminal background, according to UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore. "Freshman admissions are based on the information contained in the applicant file," she explained. Margo Bennett, spokesperson for the UC Berkeley Police Department, emphasizes that the police department does not become involved with or track students with felony records other than sex offenders who are by law required to register with police.
While government loans for ex-offenders are difficult to acquire, private and nonprofit agencies and groups do have programs that provide funding for ex-offenders and parolees attending college. Most financial aid offices will know of available resources or be able to point you in the right direction. An online search using "ex-offender grants," "financial aid for felons" or "felon grants" as search terms will produce considerable information. You will need to burrow deeply into the search to find the most useful information; however, resources are available and can be located with patience and persistence.