News (Media Awareness Project) - US: U.S. Drug Policy Continues To Deny Students Aid |
| Title: | US: U.S. Drug Policy Continues To Deny Students Aid |
| Published On: | 2002-09-16 |
| Source: | Peak, The (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-22 01:02:36 |
U.S. DRUG POLICY CONTINUES TO DENY STUDENTS AID
WASHINGTON - More than 30,000 American college students will be denied
federal funding for the 2002-2003 school year due to the Drug-Free Student
Aid provision of the Higher Education Act, according to an annual report
released by the U.S. Department of Education. The HEA provision, which was
passed by Congress in 1998, denies federal financial aid to students with
prior drug convictions.
A total of 86,898 students have been denied financial aid since the
enforcement of the HEA drug provision in 2000 and the DOE estimates that
tens of thousands of students will chose not to apply for federal financial
aid due to the provision.
A drug conviction is the only crime that results in the loss of federal
financial assistance. Students convicted of any other crime, including
murder or rape, may still receive full funding.
In a recent statement, Representative Mark Souder, the bill's author, said
that the measure was originally enacted to cut federal funding to those
students who received drug convictions while already receiving aid. Souder
also hoped that the bill would act as a means to discourage drug use among
high school teens.
Over 10 million students apply for federal aid annually and according to
estimates made by the DOE, 27 per cent of Americans between the ages of 18
and 25 admitted to using an illegal substance in 2001. Despite an increase
of more than $12 billion in federal funding to wage the war against drugs
since 1982, almost half of all high school students in the United States
admit to experimenting with an illegal substance.
Graham Boyd, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Drug Policy
Litigation Project, believes that the HEA provision is unfair to minorities.
"This law is discriminatory," Boyd said. "If a student is convicted of a
drug offence, and [the student's] family can afford to pay for college,
[the student] will be unaffected by the legislation, while those who are
already in danger of being pushed to society's margins will not be able to
get federal aid."
WASHINGTON - More than 30,000 American college students will be denied
federal funding for the 2002-2003 school year due to the Drug-Free Student
Aid provision of the Higher Education Act, according to an annual report
released by the U.S. Department of Education. The HEA provision, which was
passed by Congress in 1998, denies federal financial aid to students with
prior drug convictions.
A total of 86,898 students have been denied financial aid since the
enforcement of the HEA drug provision in 2000 and the DOE estimates that
tens of thousands of students will chose not to apply for federal financial
aid due to the provision.
A drug conviction is the only crime that results in the loss of federal
financial assistance. Students convicted of any other crime, including
murder or rape, may still receive full funding.
In a recent statement, Representative Mark Souder, the bill's author, said
that the measure was originally enacted to cut federal funding to those
students who received drug convictions while already receiving aid. Souder
also hoped that the bill would act as a means to discourage drug use among
high school teens.
Over 10 million students apply for federal aid annually and according to
estimates made by the DOE, 27 per cent of Americans between the ages of 18
and 25 admitted to using an illegal substance in 2001. Despite an increase
of more than $12 billion in federal funding to wage the war against drugs
since 1982, almost half of all high school students in the United States
admit to experimenting with an illegal substance.
Graham Boyd, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Drug Policy
Litigation Project, believes that the HEA provision is unfair to minorities.
"This law is discriminatory," Boyd said. "If a student is convicted of a
drug offence, and [the student's] family can afford to pay for college,
[the student] will be unaffected by the legislation, while those who are
already in danger of being pushed to society's margins will not be able to
get federal aid."
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