DRUG OFFENDERS COULD LOSE STUDENT AID

WASHINGTON - Students convicted of drug offenses could be barred from
receiving federal college tuition aid under rules taking effect next summer.

The regulations are based on a law enacted in 1998 to reduce waste in the
student loan system. They do not apply to juvenile records, and some
students will be able to retain eligibility by completing drug
rehabilitation or by having their convictions overturned.

Students must report drug convictions on forms for federal financial aid,
including Pell grants and student loans. Some student groups complain that
the rules are counterproductive.

Under the regulations, which were released Friday, a first possession
conviction will block aid for a year, while a sales conviction will bar aid
for two years. Students convicted of possessing drugs for a second time
will lose aid for two years; a third time, permanently. A student convicted
twice of selling drugs will lose aid permanently.

Colleges won't have to police their students. Instead, students will be
asked to report their own criminal records on aid forms subject to review
by federal officials. Students must complete forms each year with
information such as income and academic status.

Convictions occurring after students apply for aid but before July 1, when
the rules take effect may result in the loss of eligibility.

"It's kind of backward to deal with a drug policy by denying people an
education," said Jamie Pueschel, a 1998 college graduate who is now
legislative director of the U.S. Student Association in Washington.