Pubdate: Thu, 13 Oct 2005
Source: Minnesota Daily (MN Edu)
Copyright: 2005 Minnesota Daily
Contact:  http://www.mndaily.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1280
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DRUG POLICY PREVENTS HIGHER EDUCATION

Students need to make their voice heard on the higher education drug provision.

With the recent study released by the Government Accountability 
Office showing that the higher education drug provision does not 
deter students from using drugs and the ongoing debate in Congress 
right now, it is important to revisit the issue.

The sole purpose of Higher Education Act was to strengthen the 
educational resources of colleges and universities and to increase 
access to higher education through financial assistance.

Seven years ago a provision was added to the Higher Education Act 
that delays or denies financial aid to anyone convicted of a state or 
federal drug offense. Since taking effect, more than 160,000 students 
have lost their financial aid eligibility due. This is in addition to 
whatever punishment they have received from state or federal courts. 
The student's misdeed remains the only class of crime that has a ban 
on financial aid eligibility. This means the provision doesn't deal 
with someone who has been charged with drunken driving, rape or 
murder. The provision was supposed to keep students off drugs through 
the threat of lost financial aid assistance, however, it impossible 
to check the efficacy of this claim since many students who are 
convicted of drug offenses don't bother applying for financial aid.

Invariably, the drug provision in the Higher Education Act hurts 
those it was intended to help: middle and low-income families. These 
are the people who have to worry about paying for their education, 
but all too often face barriers like the drug provision that keep 
higher education out of their reach. This is to say nothing of the 
minorities who are vastly overrepresented in drug convictions in the 
United States.

With more than 70 million U.S. citizens who have smoked marijuana at 
least once in their life, it is essential that University students 
call the provision what it really is: politics over people. Right now 
Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., along with 50 other co-sponsors are 
authoring a bill that would repeal the drug provision. Students 
should let them know that they support this action.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman