Inmates Gain Pell Grants for Welding, Diesel
Incarcerated students at approved South Dakota technical colleges can now apply for federal Pell Grants for skilled-trades training.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Financial Aid
Live Poll
Should taxpayer money fund college courses for people in prison?
Southeast Technical College has received approval to offer Second Chance Pell Grant-eligible programming for incarcerated students, so inmates in the Sioux Falls area can now use Pell Grants toward welding and diesel mechanic courses. Pell Grant eligibility for inmates has existed nationally since 2023.
Why it matters
For incarcerated South Dakotans, Pell Grants can cover training that may lead to skilled trades work after release. The welding program's state grant money ran out this fall, and Pell funding offers a way to keep the training going.
Inmates must complete a paper Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine eligibility, and Gov. Larry Rhoden awarded Southeast Tech $1.5 million from the Future Fund to set up a diesel mechanic program. Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City is the third South Dakota tech school approved for Second Chance Pell Grants.
The players
Southeast Technical College
A public technical college in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that offers skilled-trades programs including welding and diesel mechanics.
Western Dakota Technical College
A public technical college in Rapid City, South Dakota, approved as the third state tech school for Second Chance Pell Grants.
Gov. Larry Rhoden
The governor of South Dakota, who awarded Southeast Tech $1.5 million from the Future Fund to set up a diesel mechanic program.
The details
Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students is determined through the same process used for any other student, beginning with the paper Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Southeast Tech's welding program started five years ago with state Department of Labor grants, which ran out this fall, and the college's Second Chance programming application was approved in the past month. The Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force has tentatively endorsed Pell Grants for inmate skills training as part of a 34-point package that will be compiled and voted on next month.
Timeline
Second Chance Pell Grants became available to inmates nationally in 2023.
The state Department of Labor grant money for the welding program ran out in fall 2026.
The first Pell Grant-funded welding cohort is scheduled to begin in January 2027.
The task force is set to compile and vote on its 34-point recommendations in December 2026.
The first diesel training courses are scheduled to begin in August 2027.
Education Landscape
The Second Chance Pell Grant program, in place nationally since 2023, restored federal aid eligibility for incarcerated students after it had been cut off decades earlier. South Dakota's approvals place the state among the early adopters of that federal change in its technical-college system.
Incarcerated students in the Sioux Falls area can now apply for Pell Grants by completing the paper Free Application for Federal Student Aid through the college. Anyone with questions about eligibility should contact the financial-aid office at Southeast Tech or another qualified adviser.
The takeaway
Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students is now available at South Dakota technical colleges, and the first programs start in January 2027. Students interested in eligibility should ask the financial-aid office at Southeast Tech or Western Dakota Technical College about the paper FAFSA process.
What happens next
The task force will compile and vote on its 34-point rehabilitation recommendations in December 2026, and the first Pell Grant-funded welding cohort begins in January 2027.
Further reading
For more on how aid programs like this work, explore our Financial Aid coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Mitchell Republic.
Live Poll
Should taxpayer money fund college courses for people in prison?
