FAFSA TAKES A NEEDED CHANCE ON LAWBREAKERS

Reformed Act May Give Students With Past Drug Charges Aid

Thousands of students who are caught possessing or selling drugs have
lost their financial aid - but this may all change soon since Congress
just recently reformed the law that strips aid to students with drug
convictions.

The Higher Education Act Drug Provision allows more students with past
offenses to receive aid, which President Bush is expected to sign into
law. But, lawbreakers who were enrolled in school and getting taxpayer
support at the time when they were convicted can't apply for aid. The
change is expected to benefit mostly older students.

"Students still deserve aid regardless of past mistakes they have
made," Tommy Yankle said, a senior who has a possession charge on his
record and doesn't receive FAFSA. "Everybody deserves a second chance."

But, Rachel Robinson, FAFSA representative, said everybody does get a
second chance despite the common misconception.

"Just because you are convicted of possession or selling illegal drugs
does not mean that you are completely ineligible," Robinson said. "You
can have had 10 trafficking charges and still be eligible - as long as
you go through a drug rehab program."

Even if a potential student decides not to go through a lengthy drug
rehab program they are still eligible for aid - they just might have
to wait a while longer to receive that aid.

For someone who is convicted of one possession is suspended from aid
for one year, two possessions - two years. But if a student has more
than two possessions then it is required for them to seek drug rehab
if they ever want financial aid. For trafficking the time limits on
suspensions of aid are doubled. Critics of this policy, including Kris
Krane, director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, feel making
students wait for aid will just decrease the chances that these
students will ever make it to college and lead productive lives.

"Many of these potential students will never come back after this one
year waiting period," Krane said. " If a student is busted with drugs
they are already being punished in the criminal justice system. It's
not fair to punish them a second time - that's double jeopardy."

While federal aid may be denied to these drug offenders state and
college aid may still be available. During the 2004-2005 school year
at BGSU 16,822 students received some sort of financial aid - of which
43.8 percent was federal loans.

Federal aid is not the last option for aid but most colleges and state
aid programs look at the FAFSA forms when determining
eligibility.

Craig Cornell, director of financial aid at the University, said that
these FAFSA forms are for the most part the deciding factor when
granting aid.

"The rules on the federal government are pretty clear on which
students we approve for aid," Cornell said. "If the federal government
deems a student eligible to receive aid then we process this through."

This FAFSA form colleges and states financial aid see has the drug
conviction question in which students are asked to explain past drug
convictions. If a student answers yes to question 31 regarding past
drug convictions then a drug conviction worksheet must be filled out
to determine a student's eligibility.

In January 2005, the Advisory Committee on Student Financial
Assistance recommended that the drug conviction question be completely
removed from the financial aid applications, calling it "irrelevant"
to aid eligibility.