ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

Is it unreasonable to expect college students who receive
taxpayer-funded student aid to refrain from using and selling drugs or
risk losing that aid?

The fact that some groups apparently think so highlights the very
cultural problem the drug-free-student-loan provision of the Higher
Education Act was meant to address.

Despite the fact that drug use is a violation of federal law and
certainly an impediment to learning, American culture treats drug use
as an accepted part of the college experience. By temporarily
suspending federal financial aid for students convicted of drug
crimes, the law sends a clear message: ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES,
AND USING OR SELLING DRUGS WILL RUIN YOUR FUTURE.

By law, if a student who receives federal financial aid is convicted
of drug possession, his or her aid eligibility is suspended for one
year for the first offense, two years for the second offense, and
indefinitely for the third offense. For drug-sale convictions,
financial aid is suspended for two years for the first offense and
indefinitely for the second offense.

It is important to note that students may regain their eligibility
before the suspension period expires if they successfully complete a
drug treatment program and test negative for drug use twice in random
tests.

The purpose of the provision is threefold: 1) deter students from
using and selling drugs on our college campuses; 2) help those who
abuse drugs receive treatment; 3) hold students accountable for the
taxpayer-provided financial aid they receive for their education. The
provision applies only to students who already receive federal aid at
the time they are convicted of a drug crime.

The law is based on simple principles. First, federally subsidized
student aid is a privilege, not a right. It is reasonable for
taxpayers to expect a certain amount of accountability from students
who receive federal aid to pursue an education.

Second, students who spend their time and money using drugs or selling
them to others obviously aren't focused on learning. Why shouldn't
their financial aid be made available, instead, to other eligible
students more committed to their education?

Students who avoid drugs have nothing to fear from the Higher
Education Act. It doesn't take a college education to figure that out.

U. S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., is a member of the House Committee on
Education and the Workforce.

Federal student aid is a privilege that drug abuse can jeopardize.