REPEAL THE BAN

Some 43,000 colleges students this year may be denied federal
financial aid because of a provision in the law that bans such
assistance to persons who have had drug convictions.

Calling it a "double punishment," the American Council on Education
has called for a repeal of that ban. "Far more serious crimes do not
carry the automatic denial of student aid," points out Terry Hartle,
vice president of the council. In addition, the council argues that
the ban is discriminatory against lower income people, who tend to
rely more on financial aid for getting a higher education.

U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Indiana, who wrote the amendment that led to
the ban, has said that he only intended it to apply to students who
were already receiving federal aid when they were convicted. He has
called it "simply shocking" that the U.S. Education Department has
taken a much harder line and enforces it an an across-the-board
manner.

Congress should repeal the ban for a couple of reasons. First, the
council's right about it being a "double punishment." Second, higher
education can offer poor, young people a way out of the sort of life
that fosters drug use. It is illogical to deny that kind of "second
chance" to those who need it the most.