ASMSU FIGHTS FINANCIAL AID DRUG LAW

ASMSU is implementing a plan of attack against a federal rule which bans
financial aid to students convicted of drug crimes.

MSU's undergraduate student government condemned the drug provision of the
Higher Education Act at its Thursday meeting.

The provision states students convicted of a drug crime will not be
eligible for financial aid for a minimum of one year, depending on the
severity of the crime.

The policy has been denounced by several universities and national
organizations since it was added to the Higher Education Act in 1998.

"Judges punish people, not federal programs," said Andrew Banyai,
representative for Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

He said the disproportionate concern with drugs takes attention away from
other university issues.

"Alcohol is really the problem that I see," first year law student and
former State News columnist said. "A provision like this takes away from
the problem.

"This is just the beginning of a larger project."

ASMSU joins the University of Michigan's student government and other Big
Ten student governments in saying a student's drug record shouldn't be a
part of the financial aid program.

The Higher Education Act was established in 1968 to set up a federal
financial aid program for students.

ASMSU plans to have an active role in exposing and repealing the drug
conviction policy, said Louis Brown, external affairs vice chairperson for
Student Assembly.

"We're going to be instructing students from a grass-root level. (We will)
increase the level of awareness of this racist drug policy at the federal
level," he said, citing that more African American males are incarcerated
for drug crimes than whites.

ASMSU also will be in contact with the MSU Governmental Affairs Office in
Washington, D.C. to make sure issues such as the criticized drug policy get
attention from legislators, Brown said.

But not all students believe ASMSU's stance against the drug policy is the
right decision.

"It ends up taking away money from the people that don't do drugs," English
sophomore Brian Doyle said.

He said it's important that people who use drugs know the consequences,
including not being eligible for financial aid, as the policy states.

Other supporters of the policy said students are responsible for making
their own decisions, including taking drugs, and should expect to be held
accountable for their actions.

"No one forces you to smoke a marijuana cigarette, but people still choose
to do it," said Benjamin Kaeb, Student Assembly representative for the
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

"If you need financial aid, you better keep yourself in a position to be
eligible," Kaeb said.