DRUG POLICY HARMS NEEDIEST STUDENTS

At least 175,000 people have been denied federal financial aid since
2000 because of their drug convictions, according to Students for a
Sensible Drug Policy, a students' rights advocacy group.

It all began with the Higher Education Act, which originated more than
30 years ago to provide financial aid and improve educational
opportunities for low-income populations. In 1998, an amendment to the
HEA, known as the Drug Provision, introduced restrictions for students
with previous drug offenses. The provision dictates that a student
convicted once of possession is ineligible to apply for federal aid
for a year. A second possession offense, or one selling offense, means
a student is ineligible for two years.

The Drug Provision is a blanket policy that does not take into
consideration students on an individual basis and is flawed for
various other reasons. First, the convicted students are already
"at-risk." Denying aid to these students is more likely to result in
them dropping out of college, because they cannot afford it. Would
they really do fewer drugs if they couldn't go to college? Second, to
limit the number of deserving students eligible for federal aid is
counterproductive. There's already a minimum GPA requirement for
receiving aid, so essentially the Drug Provision only affects students
who are doing well in school. And third, it tries to be somewhat
helpful by including a provision stating a student can resume
eligibility for aid if he or she completes a drug rehabilitation
program that meets certain requirements. Yet the student is expected
to foot the bill. How can someone be expected to pay for drug rehab
when he or she is poor enough in the first place to qualify to apply
for aid?

It doesn't just affect federal aid either. According to the Coalition
for Higher Education Act Reform, 11 states, including Kansas, follow
the federal eligibility guidelines when they could determine their own
guidelines for state financial aid. The Kansas Board of Regents awards
aid packages to individual universities and advises each to follow the
federal eligibility guidelines.

Recently, the House of Representatives passed a bill that changed part
of the Drug Provision. It says people who weren't in school at the
time of conviction could apply for aid. That may help non-traditional
students but for students still enrolled in school it does nothing.

The Drug Provision needs to be repealed entirely. Students with drug
convictions are already being punished by the courts, school
administrators and their parents. The federal and state government
shouldn't have to get involved as well. We all make mistakes. Students
with drug convictions shouldn't have to pay such a hefty price for
theirs.