HUNDREDS OF DRUG OFFENDERS DENIED FINANCIAL AID

A federal law that went into effect six years ago has resulted in
hundreds of college students from northern New England being denied
federal financial aid because of past drug offenses or their refusal
to answer questions about drug convictions.

Financial aid was denied to 669 applicants out of 356,394 students in
Maine, 541 out of 322,761 in New Hampshire and 204 out of 172,625 in
Vermont due to drug-related offenses, according to the Associated Press.

Zachary Heiden of the Maine Civil Liberties Union told the AP the law
discriminates against the poor because it does not affect students
from affluent families that can pay for college without financial aid
and because students convicted of other crimes remain eligible for aid.

"You can literally get away with murder," Heiden said.

The law states that the first offense for drug possession results in
one year of federal aid denied, the second offense results in two
years and subsequent offenses result in indefinite denial of aid. The
first offense for selling drugs makes the offender ineligible for aid
for two years, while subsequent offenses result in indefinite ineligibility.