Pubdate: Thu, 11 May 2006
Source: Standard Times, The (Wakefield, RI)
Copyright: 2006 The Standard Times
Contact:  http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1715
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3772
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?219 (Students for Sensible Drug Policy)

UNFAIR DRUG PENALTY SHOULD BE RESCINDED

You can be convicted of armed robbery, rape, even murder. As terrible 
as these felonies are, you can still apply for, and receive, 
financial aid should you want to pursue higher education.

But don't get caught on a drug offense, because you'll lost all hope 
of financial aid.

A nationwide survey by the US Department of Education ranks Rhode 
Island as fifth in the nation in denying college aid to drug 
offenders. They released the information only after Students for 
Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) filed a Freedom of Information request.

The data shows that since the Higher Education Act was signed into 
law by President Bill Clinton in 1998 and enacted during the 2000-01 
school year, 807 Rhode Islanders have been denied student aid. They 
constitute 2.9 percent of 274,167 applicants filling out FAFSA forms.

The original provision required students to reveal if they had ever 
been convicted of possessing or selling drugs when filling out the 
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. That was 
modified somewhat in February, when Congress revised it to apply to 
only those students who were convicted of drug possession while 
enrolled in college.

SSDP is among 250 organizations, including the National Educators 
Association, the National Association of Student Financial Aid 
Administrators, and the National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People, that have called for the full repeal of the law. URI 
President Robert Carothers has repeatedly spoken out against it, 
pointing out that the penalty falls disproportionately on minorities 
and low-income students.

As we have said in the past and say again, the law penalizes those 
who have made a mistake and are attempting to better their lives.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy and Rep. James Langevin were recently singled 
out by SSDP for their refusal to co-sponsor a bill to overturn the 
aid elimination penalty. According to a Langevin spokesperson, he is 
currently reviewing the bill. Kennedy's office didn't bother 
returning telephone calls.

The report and full state-by-state data are available online at 
www.ssdp.org/states.

We believe that as people come to understand the import and iutrinsic 
unfairness of this bill, they will lend their opposition. We'd like 
to see our Congressmen take a leadership role in repealing the 
provision even before that happens.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom