DRUG USE MAY LIMIT AID

A rising number of marijuana arrests in the U.S. may put
marijuana-using students at greater risk of being denied financial
aid, according to the non-profit Students for Sensible Drug Policy,
but many AU students do not know about the legal provision which mandates this.

According to a 1998 provision of the Higher Education Act, federal
financial aid is to be revoked for a minimum of one year on the first
charge of drug possession and can be suspended indefinitely after the
third charge.

Some students say they are concerned that the drug provision isn't
widely known. Though question 31 on the FAFSA form asks about
previous drug convictions, it does not say that a student's financial
aid will be revoked or suspended.

"I had no idea [about the provision]," said Christy Washington, a
junior in the School of International Service. "I don't think they
should take aid away altogether on the first charge. Maybe something
more like a probation period."

Police arrested a record high of 786,545 people for marijuana
violations in 2005, according to the latest FBI Uniform Crime Report,
released Sept. 19. Of those arrested, 88 percent were charged with
possession only.

These figures could be bad news for students who depend on federal
aid to attend college. According to the National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws, 40 percent of those arrested for marijuana
violations in 2002 were between the ages of 18 and 24.

"The consequences of an arrest don't end with handcuffs and jail
cells," said Kris Krane, executive director of SSDP. "A drug
conviction can follow young people for the rest of their lives by
taking away their financial aid and making it harder to get jobs."

According to the Department of Education, 63 percent of American
college students rely on federal financial aid. Many of these
students cannot afford a university education without financial help
and are forced to drop out if aid is revoked, said Tom Angell,
campaigns director for SSDP.

AU public safety filed 50 judicial referrals for drug abuse
violations on campus in 2005, according to the Public Safety's 2006
Annual Security Report. A judicial referral is sent through the
Judicial Affairs office and won't necessarily result in a federal
charge, said Sara Waldron, associate dean of students.

"A referral would become part of [a student's] disciplinary record on
campus," she said. "It wouldn't involve an outside process."

Though being caught on campus might not pose much threat to financial
aid, the Higher Education Act drug provision still puts many students
in danger of losing a college education, said AU SSDP chapter
President Tazewell Jones.

"In addition to creating a network of informed activists on campus,
AU SSDP is also concerned with the rights of all young people,
including the right to a decent education," Jones said.

Concerned students can make an impact on a congressional decision to
repeal the provision, Angell said.

"As far as making this issue more prominent, there's a lot [students]
can do," he said. "Contact legislators. Go to the media."

In November, SSDP is bringing activists to D.C. for its 2006
International Conference, Angell said. The conference will feature a
Congressional Lobby Day, where activists will be given a chance to
speak with their representatives directly about repealing the drug provision.

"Students need to become actively involved in the decision making
process," said Jones. "It is our hope that AU students will recognize
the importance of civic participation, and use [the conference as an]
opportunity to enact a positive influence on the governmental process."

SSDP recently established its presence on the AU campus and will be
holding its first recruitment meeting within the next few weeks,
Jones said. Interested students can contact Jones at
wj9861a@american.edu or visit www.ssdp.org.