SECOND CHANCES

In her April 19 People's Forum letter about the law that strips
financial aid from college students with drug convictions, U.S. Rep.
Virginia Foxx correctly noted that completion of an eligible
rehabilitation program enables students to re-establish eligibility.

Unfortunately, rehab programs are expensive, and students who can't
afford college will likely have difficulty paying for treatment.
While researching this issue I called several eligible programs and
got zero responses over the course of two weeks. Forcing students to
jump through expensive hoops does not solve our nation's drug
problems; it only makes them worse.

Students already need to make good academic progress to receive aid,
so the penalty punishes only those who are doing well in classes.

Foxx wrote that repealing the penalty would be condoning drug use.
Actually, illegal drugs are still going to be illegal. All students
affected by the penalty have already been tried and convicted and
have paid their debt to society. Repealing the aid ban would send the
message that students who make mistakes and pay the penalty deserve a
second chance, not another roadblock on the path to education and recovery.

Matthew Potter

President, NCSU Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Raleigh