Act Awards Convicted Drug Users Tuition Aid

For years students with drug convictions have been denied financial aid but
those days have come to an end.

The RISE act has been created to help students who have had previous
drug convictions still receive aid.

Previously on the FAFSA form there was a question asking if the
applicant had any drug convictions and if it a student answered 'yes'
then aid would not be granted.

"Since 1998, more than 160,500 students have lost financial aid
because they have had a drug conviction on their record," Tom Angell,
communications director for Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said.

By establishing this act, many students who would be refused aid,
which could result in not receiving an education, would now be able to
receive it.

"The RISE act would repeal that policy and reinstate the financial aid
to those looking to get their lives back on track by attending a
higher education environment," Angell said.

While this act will benefit many students nationwide, ISU may not be
affected as intensely.

"Very little will be affected. We have had, I think last year, around
five people who had their eligibility affected by the response to that
question on the FAFSA," Charles Boudreau, ISU director of financial
aid, said.

This may be surprising to some since nearly 75 percent of ISU students
receive financial aid, according to Boudreau.

Even though ISU will not be affected much by the act, Boudreau
believes it will have a profound effect nationally.

"It is not going to make much of a difference at ISU, but nationally
it will make a difference," Boudreau said.

This act will also be granting students with past convictions the
opportunity to turn their lives around.

"Pulling the students out of school is going to do nothing to keep
them away from drugs or out of the criminal justice system," Angell
said. "Education is a way to help people see past their past problems.
So really what we want to do is unlock the door of higher education to
these students who are trying to get their lives back on track."

Angell also believes the students who have seen this question as an
obstacle towards education have already paid their dues to society.

"Anybody who have been affected by this law has already been punished
in the criminal justice system," Angell explained. "Some people have
been arrested, some have been sent to jail and some have received
hefty fines."

"Even in addition to that some people are punished by their
university," Angell added. "Some get expelled, people get kicked out
of their dorms and so really, what this financial aid question does is
punish the kids a second or third time for their offense."

On the FAFSA form, the drug conviction question was originally
intended for applicants who had numerous drug convictions.

"The Higher Education Act was originally passed by Congress in 1965 to
make college education more accessible to more of the low income
community," Angell explained. "Every five years or so Congress
reauthorizes the Higher Education Act and they take a look at an amendment."

"During the 1998 reauthorization, a Republican representative, Mark
Souter, inserted this revision into the Higher Education Act without a
recorded vote and so he claims that he meant it as an in concurrence
for drug use to people," Angell said.