BILL TO GIVE DRUG OFFENDERS AID

Prior drug convictions will no longer stop students from receiving
Financial Aid if President Bush approves a revision to the Higher
Education Act of 1998.

On Feb. 1, Congress voted to change the act, which has made it
impossible for those who have been convicted of a drug offense to
receive federal aid. The new policy will make past drug charges not
matter when applying for aid, but students who are convicted of a
drug crime while receiving aid will still be ineligible.

More than 175,000 students have been denied aid because of the law,
said Tom Angell, the campaign director for Students for Sensible Drug
Policy. But that number only represents people who checked "yes" for
the question on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form
that asked if they had been convicted of a drug crime, he said.

"That doesn't account for students who saw the question and didn't
fill out the form," Angell said. "There's really no way to tell how
many have been affected."

Students for Sensible Drug Policy was formed in 1997 in response to
the government's war on drugs, which the organization said is
misguided. It currently has chapters at colleges across the country.

"Our organization tries to reduce the negative impact that the war on
drugs has had on students," Angell said.

The revision to the Higher Education Act is a "partial victory,"
Angell said, but he is still concerned for students who could lose
their aid if convicted while in college.

Students need to be aware of these policies, said Shauna Quinn,
project director at the Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center.

"This is something I've always educated students on in my classes,"
she said. "That if they are convicted (of a drug crime) they could
lose their Financial Aid."

Quinn said she will be surprised if Bush approves the policy, but she
hopes he will.

"People should be able to get their lives back in order, and
education is a big part of that," she said.

Financial Aid and Scholarship office director Meredith Kelley said
she isn't sure how many people applying for aid at Chico State have
been denied because of drug convictions, but it is something every
campus deals with.

More often the campus has issues with people who leave the question
blank because of a drug conviction on record or they are confused, she said.

She was pleased by the recent decision and said it was a positive step.

"There's no other conviction that affects your Financial Aid unless
you're incarcerated," she said. "Congress realized that they
overreacted and made it a lot harder for people to get their lives
back on track."