USG SUPPORTS DRUG PROVISION REPEAL

Ohio State joined the list of schools across the country fighting the
government's war on drugs when USG passed a resolution at its Wednesday
meeting to support the repeal of the drug provision attached to the Higher
Education Act, which denies students federal aid if they have been convicte
d
of a drug-related offense.

The vote, passed unanimously, was in stark contrast to the decision made
last spring to support the drug provision by a vote of 15 to 1.

Sean Luse, OSU sophomore and vice president of For a Better Ohio, presented
the facts and his opinions on the resolution.

"The issue here is not drugs or drug use. The issue is education," Luse
said. "The Higher Education Act drug provision is a direct attack on
students. And as students we must tell our politicians that blocking access
to an education is an inappropriate response to our nation=EDs drug problem."

Last year, over 8,000 students at universities across the country lost thei
r
financial aid because of the provision, and over 800,000 didn't even answer
the question concerning drug offenses on the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid. Federal aid may be denied from one to three years or cut
indefinitely depending on the number and category of offense.

Sophomore Russell Selkirk told USG that he thinks the provision charges
individuals twice for the same crime. "I was arrested for drug paraphernali
a
and abuse, and in addition to paying $250 in fines, losing my license for
six months, being on probation for one year and serving 20 hours of
community service, I lost my financial aid," Selkirk said.

Similar resolutions have been endorsed by over 40 university student
governments, including Yale, University of Michigan, Penn State and the
University of Wisconsin.

The vote to pass the resolution came exactly one week after the chief
political supporter of repealing the drug provision, Rep. Barney Frank,
D-MA, reintroduced legislation at a press conference in the nation's
capital. Frank was supported by representatives of the House Committee on
Education and Workforce, where the bill is reviewed, as well as
representatives from the National Association of Financial Aid
Administrators and the United States Student Association.

Also on hand was Shawn Heller, George Washington University graduate and
national director of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, which has groups
at over 80 campuses.

Heller said he doesn=EDt expect the legislation to pass through in this
congress but hopes to drum up enough support so that in 2002 he and
supporters will see an easier chance in removing the drug provision.

"We have a wide range of universities that have come aboard with this from
Yale to George Washington, but support from state schools is definitely
important, especially in states like Ohio," Heller said.

SSDP promotes the idea that this provision only affects lower-income
students and that it is hypocritical that an individual from a wealthy
family doesn=EDt have to worry about exposing prior drug use or convictions.

"We see education as a possible solution to a lot of our social problems,
drug abuse being one of them, and not something you should put road blocks
in front of," Heller said.