UNLV GROUP JOINS FIGHT AGAINST FINANCIAL AID RULE

LAS VEGAS - A UNLV student group is joining a national push for Congress to
reconsider a law that denies financial aid to students with drug convictions.

"It's a shame that they would take away somebody's whole life, their whole
future, just for a minor offense," said Debbie Dedmon, 30, a UNLV public
relations student and member of the campus Students for Sensible Drug
Policy chapter.

Some give up

Most University of Las Vegas, Nevada applicants who are denied aid put off
college until they can qualify, although a campus official said two
students in the last two years enrolled anyway without aid.

"We rarely hear from them other than when they ask how do they become
eligible again," said Judy Belanger, UNLV financial aid director. She said
23 students who were accepted to the school last year were denied federal aid.

She said most of the others probably took a year off while waiting for
their convictions to clear.

The law, enacted as part of a get-tough-on-drugs campaign, is drawing new
attention from activists as Congress considers renewing the Higher
Education Act of 1998.

While saying they do not condone the use of narcotics, critics argue the
law is too strict.

It applies to any drug-related offense committed by someone 18 or older.
Students are penalized for one year from the date of their convictions. A
second conviction results in a two-year penalty. A third offense
permanently bars a student from receiving aid.

The law does not apply to convictions expunged from a student's record, and
students can complete a drug rehabilitation program to regain eligibility.

Resource for parents

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., introduced legislation in February that would
repeal the financial aid penalties. He said it harms students who need
money for school and has little effect on wealthier students who don't need
federal aid.

Others argue the law is an effective deterrent to drug use or possession.

"A parent can say, 'Look, I don't want you to do drugs and here's another
reason why,' " said Howard Simon, a spokesman for Partnership for a Drug
Free America.

Nationally, more than 3,000 students were refused federal financial aid
last year because of a drug conviction, according to the federal Education
Department. Another 22,500 were denied aid because they did not answer the
question on their application or they failed to return a second notice
about it.