ADVISORY COMMITTEE DEBATES DRUG QUESTION ON FAFSA FORMS

The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance has recently
issued a report in an attempt to simplify the students aid process. In
this report, the Committee argued that the 31st question on the
Federal Application for Federal Student Aid forms, which deals with
drug use, should be removed. According to the question, the conviction
of selling or possessing illegal drugs could seriously limit one's
chances of obtaining federal aid.

The question on illegal drug conviction was not added until 2000, two
years after Congress had passed the law stating that anyone who has
been convicted would not be eligible for any kind of federal aid. The
law also urges institutions to ensure that these sanctions are
properly enforced. If not, then those schools could lose their
eligibility to receive funds or any form of financial assistance under
federal programs.

Tom Angell, the Communications Director for Students for Sensible Drug
Policy, believes the FAFSA question is a part of the government's
anti-drug campaign. He disagrees with the premise, and says that
"limiting the opportunities of someone who has been convicted will
only increase the use and distribution of these substances."

"We have not seen a decrease in drug use since the law has been
passed," Angell said.

Jan May, Director of Student Financial Aid at UAB, said, "There have
been occasions where students have answered 'yes' to the drug
question, and they had difficulty receiving aid."

This is one of the reasons that Angell's organization believes in
removing the question from the forms and modifying other governmental
anti-drug policies. He also added that his organization's goal "is to
fight against harmful anti-drug policies."

Congress should be dealing with this issue sometime in the next
year.

"I hope they take the committee's advice," Angell said.

There is a possibility that other provisions will be removed as well
in an attempt to simplify federal student aid.