RECOVERING ADDICTS OFFERED SCHOLARSHIPS

Staying Clean, Good Marks Rewarded In Texas Program

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- 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 bed sheet. 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-scholars program, started four years ago at the Texas Tech
Center for Addiction Studies, rewards participants regardless of their
previous academic careers.

Corral, who had 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 a recovering alcoholic, founded
the program.

To get in, participants must show that they have been in drug or alcohol
rehabilitation for at least a year. That, a high school diploma or
equivalency degree and Andersen's faith are the 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 heard of a program like that, and I like the idea," said Herbert
Klebert, former U.S. deputy drug czar and director of Columbia University's
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

The amount of money a student gets depends on the participant's grades: a
4.0 grade-point average earns $2,000 per semester, a 3.5 is worth $1,500, a
3.0 gets $1,000 for a 3.0, 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.
Andersen said 5 percent of participants have reverted to drug or alcohol abuse.