CMU SHOULD ACT AGAINST DRUG-FREE PROVISION OF HIGHER EDUCATION ACT

The federal government says there is only one crime for which it will deny
a student financial assistance for higher education. If applicants answer
yes to question 35 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- - confirming that they have had drug convictions on their records - they
may lose nearly $15,000 in financial assistance.

The drug-free provision of the Higher Education Act, passed in 1998, will
deny aid to 30,000 students this year, according to statistics released by
the Department of Education. The intrusion by the government into personal
choices is only part of the law's problem. The provision is also a barrier
to social mobility; it severely restricts the poor and lower classes'
access to education.

Carnegie Mellon administrators say the law has been a non-issue (only one
student was denied aid for this school year), but students should be
assured that their university will choose the ethical path, even when
contradictory to federal law. Only four colleges have introduced policies
contrary to the drug-free provision, most recently Yale University. To
recoup aid in succeeding years, the law requires an applicant to complete a
rehabilitation program. Yale has promised to provide institutional aid to
students who are convicted of using drugs, as opposed to selling, as long
as they agree to undergo rehabilitation, which can be done through the
school's health center at minimal cost.

Efforts are underway in Congress to repeal the reactionary drug-free
amendment. House Resolution 786 has approximately 60 cosponsors, but the
law is not expected to pass, despite the lobbying efforts of several
collegiate student governments.

As far as CMU is concerned, only one student lost his financial aid due to
the clause this year. But whether it be one case or one hundred, CMU should
protect its students from unethical federal aferthoughts.