EX-ADDICTS GETTING HOOKED ON BOOKS

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Four years ago, Adrian Corral sat in a dank prison,
wracked by convulsions from cocaine withdrawal and filled with
thoughts of hanging himself with a bedsheet. He survived his four year
sentence for drug dealing only because he lacked the nerve to kill
himself.

Now Corral, 34, is going to college under a program at Texas Tech
University that gives recovering addicts scholarships for staying
clean, getting good grades and attending recovery meetings.

It may be the first program of its kind in the nation.

The addicts-to-scbolars program, started four years ago at the Texas
Tech Center for Addiction Studies, rewards participants regardless of
their previous academic careers.

Corral, who had only a high school education, is getting a bachelor's
degree and hopes to attend medical school and become a
pathologist.

"I wanted to be a part of law enforcement and I realize that I can't
do that because of my history," he said, "But at least this way I can
be a part of the process."

Carl Andersen, director of the center and himself a recovering
alcoholic, founded the program.

"This isn't a situation where you've got someone in charge who doesn't
know what he is dealing with," said Andersen, who carries in his
pocket a golden medallion inscribed "16" for the number of years he
has been sober.

"I was going to lose my wife and family and everything that meant
anything to me," he said. "Now I'm giving others the chance to save
their lives."

To get in, participants must show that they have been in drug or
alcohol rehab for at least a year. That, a high school diploma or
equivalency degree and Andersen's faith are the only requirements for
acceptance into the program, which admits about 100 undergraduates
each year.

The scholarship money comes from private sources, including
rehabilitation groups and former students who are in recovery.

"I've never beard of a program like that and I like the idea," said
Dr. Herbert Klebert, former U.S. deputy drug czar and director of
Columbia University's Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
Officials at the National Association of Colleges were also unaware of
any similar rehab program.

The amount of money a student gets depends on the participant's
grades: a 4.0 gradepoint average earns $2,000 per semester, a 3.5 is
worth $1,500, a 3.0 gets $1,000, and a 2.5 earns $500. Participants
have to pay the rest of their expenses. Tuition and fees at Texas Tech
are typically $2,500 per semester.

Anything less than a 2.5 GPA and students can be kicked out of the
program. They also can be removed for poor attendance at class or
recovery meetings.