Pubdate: Wed, 26 Oct 2005
Source: Western Courier (Western Illinois U, IL Edu)
Copyright: 2005 Western Courier
Contact: http://www.westerncourier.com/main.cfm?include=submit
Website: http://www.westerncourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3953
Author: Frankye Robinson
Cited: Students for Sensible Drug Policy http://www.daregeneration.com
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act)

LAW DOES NOT DETER DRUG USE BUT AFFECTS AID

The U.S Government Accountability Office finds the 1998 law barring
drug offenders from receiving federal student aid has failed to deter
drug use. Students for Sensible Drug Policy, an organization opposed
to the War on Drugs, seized the report as justification to repeal the
drug law.

"Congress' own researchers failed to show that this discriminatory law
does anything to solve our nation's drug problems," said SSDP
executive director Charlotte Swerdlow.

Western Illinois University's Office of Public Safety actually reports
sharp increases in the number of drug incidents it has responded to in
recent years. The number of students judicially referred because of
drug offenses jumped from 158 in 2001 to 241 in 2003. More students
faced criminal charges related to drugs as well, though the rise in
arrests was not as dramatic. Thirty-one students were arrested for
drug offenses in 2001. That number rose to 38 in 2003.

Though nearly 100 students were charged with drug crimes over the
three-year period, only a handful found themselves cut off from
student aid.

Since 1998, Western averaged about three students per year who were
impacted by the law. According to the Financial Aid office, no one has
lost their financial aid this year.

Financial Aid Director Bill Bushaw said while drug use has not
decreased, bureaucracy has increased. If a student indicates on his or
her Free Application For Student Aid that him or her has had a drug
conviction, or leaves the answer blank, he or she has to go through a
series of questions with the Department of Education to determine his
or her eligibility.

Bushaw said the department usually finds the students are eligible. He
said it is because being charged is not enough to get kicked off the
aid roll. A student has to actually be convicted of a crime.

"It's confusing to the applicant," Bushaw added.

The law may be confusing, it may even be ineffectual, but students are
aware of it and it is keeping some of them sober.

"It's why I don't smoke pot anymore," said one Western undergraduate
who wished to remain anonymous.

However, a graduate student who also is an aid recipient has not let
the law scare her away from marijuana use.

One reason may be because she does not know anyone who has lost
financial aid because of drug use. "But I know people who could," she
said.

Both students said the law is unfair. While acknowledging her bias,
the grad student said, "One little offense shouldn't mess up your
whole future."

She is not the only one who would like to see the law taken off the
books.

"At Western, it hasn't been very useful in accomplishing the goals
legislators intended," Bushaw said.

The law may not do much to deter drug use, but it has kept more than
175,000 students from receiving need-based federal financial aid.

"Along with the report slamming the efficacy of the law, Students for
Sensible Drug Policy cites other GAO reports touting the benefits to
colleges for fighting the repeal of the law. Preventing determined
students from earning a college degree makes our streets less safe and
undercuts America's Economic productivity."

Congress will be reconsidering the law this year. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake