FINANCIAL AID COULD BE HELD FOR DRUG USERS

Did you know that your financial aid can be delayed or denied for drug
charges? Question 35 of the FAFSA asked about whether or not you have
been convicted of these types of charges. The Higher Education Act
Provision of 1998 is to blame. An article by Michael A. Fletcher of
the Washington Post on Nov. 10, 2001 states that over 21,000 people
with drug convictions have been denied financial aid in the first two
years of the provision.

The HEA Provision of 1998 clearly states, "A student who has been
convicted of any offense under any Federal or State law involving the
possession or sale of a controlled substance shall not be eligible to
receive any grant, loan, or work assistance under this title during
the period beginning on the date of such conviction and ending after
the interval specified in the following table..."

That table lists the ineligibility period for the possession of a
controlled substance as one year for the first offense, two years for
the second, and indefinite for the third. The ineligibility period for
the sale of a controlled substance is two years for the first offense
and indefinite for the second.

Many people argue that this provision punishes a person twice. Others
state the provision is discriminating. However, many students
nationally agree that this provision needs an overhaul.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) have been working to have
this provision repealed since its inception. They have many
supporters, including the Association of Big Ten Schools and the
United States Student Association. Their efforts have lead to H.R.
786, a bill to repeal this provision. This bill is presently pending
in the U.S. Congress.

Shawn Heller, SSDP's National Director was quoted at the third annual
SSDP conference saying, "If you commit rape, murder, arson or treason
you still get your financial aid, but if you have one small drug
conviction, your aid is denied."

Ari Elias-Bachrach, president of Washington University's SSDP, said
that Washington University's student government recently passed a
resolution to repeal the HEA provision. Washington University was the
70th school to do so. Many other schools have since followed their
lead.

SSDP has over 156 university and high school chapters nationwide. To
read more about the HEA Provision of 1998 and it disadvantages, check
out www.raiseyourvoice.com. For more information on the SSDP, their
website is www.ssdp.com. You can also contact Ari Elias-Bachrach,
president of Washington University's SSDP.