DRUG REFORM COULD IMPACT FAFSA

The number of students in danger of losing financial aid because of past
misdemeanor or felony drug convictions could exceed 60,000 this year, as
opposed to last year's 9,114, Drug Reform Coordination Network
representatives said.

Section 484(r) of the Higher Education Act, the "Suspension of Eligibility
Drug-Related Offenses," requires students report any convictions of
possessing or selling illegal drugs on their financial aid applications.

Steven Silverman, campus coordinator of the DRCN, is working with the
organization to repeal the amendment. He said failure to comply with the
requirement increases a student's risk of not receiving aid.

Johnie Burton, director of the financial aid department, said the National
Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators have pledged their
repeal of the HE Drug Policy as well.

"It's like punishing kids twice," he said.

Burton said University of Delaware students were not denied financial aid
because of prior drug convictions.

"But it could have been that they were [denied aid] and just didn't
enroll," he said.

Silverman said last year the Department of Education permitted 300,000
students who did not answer the question, to receive aid. The
administration of former President Bill Clinton did not strictly enforce
this provision of the Higher Education Act, Silverman said.

"The Bush administration has [recently] vowed to make it difficult to avoid
the question this year," he said.

Students who answer "yes" are required to fill out supplemental worksheets
to describe the logistics of their arrests, Silverman said.

Ten million Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms are expected to
be received at the Department of Education, Silverman said.

Of the 4.8 million students who have already sent in their forms, he said,
34,749 answered "yes" to the question. He said 10,954 did not fill in their
response and the remaining students answered "no."

Of the students who said they had been convicted, 17,249 received financial
aid from the government, Silverman said.

The Education Workforce Committee, a group including Rep. Michael N.
Castle, R-Del., developed the legislation, Silverman said.

"The law was born and will ultimately die in the committee's hands," he said.

James Magee, political science and international relations professor at the
university, said the law is in the realm of the government's authority.

"They have the power to condition their spending," he said. "If you want
the money, you have to follow the rules."

However, Magee said, he feels the Higher Education Act amendment is
counterproductive.

"You'll have fewer people going to college who should go," he said. "It's
an undesirable effect."

Kyra Lepone, a senior at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, said she
feels the effects will be damaging.

"I think it's going to make people more of a criminal," she said. "If you
don't go to school, what else are you going to do?"

Magee said that only if students are fully informed about the consequences
on their education will the policy be effective in preventing kids from
experimenting with drugs.

Area high school advisers said there are no policies of informing students
about Section 484 of the Higher Education Act.

Jim Hoosty, a student adviser at Glasgow High School, said students should
be responsible for their own behavior.

"A lot of schools ask if you've ever been suspended and we don't warn
students about that," he said.

"[The department of education] should be asking for any criminal record if
they want to be equitable, not just drug offenses."

Senior Samuel Jacob Waller believes the amendment will have no influence on
high school drug users.

"When you're smoking weed and getting high, you're not thinking about
financial aid," he said. "You're thinking about how you'd like to dive into
your black light poster or something."