STUDENT AID RETURNS FOR DRUG OFFENDERS

Hundreds of Tennessee students can hope to get a second shot at
gaining eligibility for federal financial aid thanks to a bill that
passed the U.S. Congress last week.

The bill scales back a law that stripped financial aid from college
students with drug convictions.

The drug provision was originally enacted in 1988. College students
had to declare prior drug convictions on the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). An answer of "yes" to the drug
conviction question basically rendered the student ineligible to
receive financial aid, regardless of whether the conviction was prior
to the person's entering college.

Now most students with past drug offenses can receive federal or
state financial aid as long as the drug conviction did not happen
while the student was enrolled in college and receiving financial aid.

Administrators at local public and private universities and colleges
agree the new bill makes good sense.

Nashville State Community College (NSCC) has several students who
will benefit from the law, according to Financial Aid Director Steven
White. While NSCC doesn't have the time or resources to find out the
exact number of students who will benefit from the change, White
thinks it is a wise move to make the penalty limited to students who
are currently enrolled in school.

"This current change is a healthy compromise. No taxpayer would look
kindly upon federal or state funds being misused by students," he said.

What White did disagree with was isolating drug convictions as the
only question on the FAFSA form.

"Drug conviction is the only felony that is listed on the form. It is
unfair to isolate drug convictions if convictions such as rape and
assault are not getting the same attention. I do think that is a bit
overwhelming," he said.

The change is welcome news at Vanderbilt University even though there
have been no instances of students with prior drug convictions trying
to apply for financial assistance, according to Brent Tener,
associate director of financial aid.

"This has been a large political football ever since it passed a
while ago. The original intent of the law was good but it got farther
and farther away from what it was originally meant to do. The change
makes sense as it relates to universities and colleges," he said.

While the policy change is good news for students and financial aid
administrators, it has action groups such as the Students for
Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) calling for a time-out.

Applicants are required to answer a "yes" or "no" to "Have you ever
been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" on the FAFSA.
Tom Angell, campaigns director for SSDP, feels the question is
"irrelevant to aid eligibility." The SSDP wants the drug question
totally eliminated from the form. The mere presence of the question
deters eligible students from applying for aid, according to Angell.

The 2006-2007 federal form does advise applicants to submit the form
even if they answered yes to the drug conviction question. "…You may
be eligible for non-federal student aid from state or private
sources," it says.