Pubdate: Thu, 07 Sep 2006
Source: Daily Athenaeum, The (U of WV Edu)
Copyright: 2006 The Daily Athenaeum
Contact:  http://www.da.wvu.edu/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/763
Author: Kathryn Gregory
Cited: Students for Sensible Drug Policy http://www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?219 (Students for Sensible Drug Policy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/FAFSA

STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY HELPS THOSE WITH DRUG CONVICTIONS 
ATTEND COLLEGE

Thousands of potential college students will not be heading off to 
universities this year because of a little known federal law.

A law that can strip them of their financial aid if they are 
convicted of a drug offense.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an organization that was started 
in 1998 to work on overturning the penalties that young people with 
drug convictions face in college.

"This organization is concerned with the war on drugs. It causes more 
harm than it does to prevent it with young people," said Tom Angell, 
the Campaign Director for SSDP.

Angell refers to the fact that students who are convicted of a drug 
offense while they are enrolled in a university, will have their 
financial aid revoked and may no longer be able to afford college.

"The law doesn't protect young people. It puts us at a greater risk 
by taking away our access to education," Angell said.

One of the main things that SSDP students and advocates pride 
themselves on is their ability to lobby for changes. In February, 
they got Congress to scale the law back so now students can't be 
penalized for offenses that happened before they started college.

On the FAFSA, students have to list if they have had any drug 
offenses and now students can be rewarded financial aid even if they 
cited one, Angell said.

"The War on Drugs is supposedly there to protect us, but it's not. We 
know better than anyone else that it's up to students and young 
people to fight back. This (law) directly targets students," Angell said.

In addition to lobbying for changes, SSDP also works to foster drug 
policies on campuses and has been working to get colleges to stop 
automatic dorm expulsion. They have also been working to prevent 
schools from punishing students more harshly for marijuana than for 
underage drinking, according to the SSDP press release.

"Any conviction listing the possession or sale of controlled 
substances, from one marijuana cigarette to Heroin trafficking, can 
cause students to lose their Financial Aid," Angell said.

This fall, SSDP is hosting an international conference and 
congressional lobby day on November 17-19 in Washington, D.C.

Students are encouraged to attend and speak out about the laws, even 
if they do not belong to their school's chapter, Angell said.

"We will have hundreds of student activists there. We bring our 
problems directly to the law maker's doorsteps. SSDP actually works 
on changing policy, we don't just complain about it," Angell said.

These policies directly target students and it is our responsibility 
to fight, because no one else will, Angell said. "This is the first 
I've heard of this (group), but it seems like a worthy endeavor for 
any campus to get involved in," said Jason Gross, student body 
president of West Virginia University.

SSDP seems to give students a second chance and helps them get on 
their feet, Gross said.

"Lots of people make bad choices and make mistakes and they can lose 
their financial aid for it. College is so expensive now and education 
is important, so this would be beneficial on this campus," Gross said.

For more information on how to start a local chapter of the SSDP or 
to find out about the lobby in Washington, go to www.schoolsnotprisons.com
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake