SCHOOL AID DRUG BAN WON'T BE EASED

Efforts to ease a ban on federal financial aid for college students
with drug convictions have reached an impasse.

So far this school year, more than 43,000 would-be college students
face the possible denial of financial aid under a law passed in 1998.

The chief lobbying group for colleges and universities would like the
ban repealed, as would students on nearly 200 campuses who have
organized to fight it.

Federal officials said they had hoped to ease the ban through
administrative action but could not find a way.

They said it is up to Congress instead to amend the
law.

The department reads the law as saying anyone with a prior drug
conviction may be ineligible for aid.

But Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., the author of the law, said the Bush
administration is being tougher on applicants than he intended.

He said he wanted the ban to apply only to students already getting
federal aid when convicted.