Revised Substantive Change Policy and Procedures

The Commission revised the Substantive Change Policy and Procedures effective July 1, 2023. The Commission supports the established and continued efforts of our institutional membership in delivering quality education to incarcerated students and has incorporated new regulatory provisions of the FAFSA Simplification Act which reinstated Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated persons pursuing postsecondary education with an approved Prison Education Program (PEP). The provisions of the FAFSA Simplification Act that apply to confined or incarcerated individuals require accreditor approval of prison education programs and are effective July 1, 2023.

As part of a regularly scheduled annual review of substantive change documents, the Commission also made technical amendments to the Substantive Change Procedures, Complex Substantive Change Procedures, and Substantive Change Guidelines, effective July 1, 2023. The policy documents are available on the Browse Policies and Procedures page of the Commission’s website and can be found using the search filter.

All substantive change request forms were reviewed and updated as necessary based on changes to the procedures or guidelines. The forms will be effective July 1, 2023. The substantive change forms will be available on July 5, 2023, on the Substantive Change page of the Commission’s website.

Member institutions can find more information about Prison Education Programs on the Commission’s website. The Commission also hosted a webinar called Pell Reinstatement: What Colleges Need to Know on May 30, 2023. View the webinar.

The Commission will continue to provide additional programs, resources, and training sessions about substantive change for institutions and peer evaluators. Please see the Commission’s Events page for more information.