A student is considered to be incarcerated if he/she is serving a criminal sentence in a federal, state or local penitentiary, prison, jail, reformatory, work farm, or similar correctional institution. A student is not considered to be incarcerated if he/she is in a half way house or home detention or is sentenced to serve only weekends. Incarcerated students are not eligible for federal student loans. In addition, a student incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution can not receive a Pell Grant.