Pubdate: Mon, 08 Apr 2002
Source: GW Hatchet (DC)
Copyright: 2002 The GW Hatchet
Contact:  http://www.gwhatchet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/757
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act)

DRUGGING EDUCATION

A 1998 law created by Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) to amend the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 strips students convicted of selling or using drugs 
of their federal financial aid. During the 2000-01 academic year alone, 
more than 47,000 applicants for federal financial aid were stripped of some 
or all of their assistance because of past drug convictions. Even Souder is 
pushing to change the 1998 law. It is time to rethink the negative effects 
of denying people the best weapon for fighting poverty -- education.

In its present form, the law discourages people convicted of drug charges 
from resurrecting their lives. In many cases, the former drug users have 
paid their debts to society. Therefore, it would seem counterproductive to 
halt people from moving beyond their past and getting an education. 
Disallowing the pursuit of higher education by restricting funds only gives 
drug offenders an incentive to go back to using or dealing.

Various funds have been created to supplement aid lost by the law. For 
example, the John W. Perry Fund was established two weeks ago in New York 
to assist students for just this reason. Perry, a New York City police 
officer killed on Sept. 11, was a staunch critic against the nation's war 
on drugs, calling the war unfair.

In addition to GW's Student Association, student governments at Yale 
University, Northwestern University and American University have all passed 
resolutions saying they were opposed to the 1998 law. Some colleges have 
taken their opposition one step further. For instance, Swarthmore College 
in Pennsylvania decided in March to make up the difference for its students 
who have lost aid money because of the law.

A proposed change to Souder's law would make it so aid is taken away from 
drug offenders only if that drug violation occurs while enrolled. Although 
this is an improvement, it does not solve the inherent problem that 
students are being punished for drug offenses by having their chance at an 
education stripped.

It is time to give people who could not afford to pay tuition a shot at 
tuning their lives around. Human beings are far from perfect. Common sense 
policy, not draconian measures, should the guiding force in solving this 
problem. The U.S. government should take its war on drugs away from the 
academic arena.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Alex