When Paul Blasenheim '12 tells people he is a drug policy activist, people assume that he "just wants to make smoking weed easier." To many, drug activism means student-hippies fighting for easier access to another fix. The movement, however, deals with much more than just legalizing pot -- activists are setting their sights on complex issues of race, class, and socio-economic inequality, while struggling to be taken seriously. At the center of drug activism at Wesleyan is Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). Blasenheim founded the second incarnation of this group at Wesleyan in the fall of 2009, but an earlier chapter of this organization existed at Wesleyan in the early 2000s. [continues 844 words]
Financial Aid is one thing every parent wishes their child could get to help pay for college. But the process that one has to go through to get financial aid has become increasingly tougher over the years, and many who border certain income levels don't end up getting the financial support they need. With all the hard work and effort students and parents put into getting aid, shouldn't it only be given to the students who prove to be worthy of it? [continues 376 words]
Not being able to afford college is not a new problem, as many people need to take out student loans and work while attending college. Financial aid can be a big help in paying for college expenses. Yet a provision in the Higher Education Act denies federal aid to convicted drug offenders, which an applicant must disclose when filling out question 35 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Nearly 200,000 students have been denied financial aid since the law was enacted, according to a report from Students for Sensible Drug Policy Web site. [continues 494 words]
Students who are on financial aid and are caught smoking marijuana could see their federal assistance go up in smoke. The Higher Education Act was established in 1965 to provide educational resources for college students through financial aid programs. In 1998, a revision was added to the act to include a drug provision that has since denied or delayed financial aid to 200,000 potential aid recipients because of drug convictions. The drug provision was added to the act as a means of creating a no-tolerance for drug-use atmosphere at college campuses nationwide. [continues 407 words]
The Higher Education Act was established in 1965 to provide educational resources for college students through financial aid programs. In 1998, a revision was added to the act to include a drug provision that has since denied or delayed financial aid to 200,000 potential aid recipients because of drug convictions. The drug provision was added to the act as a means of creating a no-tolerance for drug-use atmosphere at college campuses nationwide. University of Hawai'i Financial Aid Director Linda Clemons explained that question 31 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid exposes drug offenders by asking them if they have ever been convicted of "possessing or selling illegal drugs" while receiving federal student aid. If the applicant responds "yes," then they are required to fill out an additional worksheet to determine if and when they can resume eligibility. [continues 340 words]
Students convicted of any drug-related crime while receiving federal financial aid lose their aid for the rest of the semester and are ineligible for aid the next time the student applies for it, according to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Web site. The rule has UA students on opposite sides of the fence. Finance senior Stephan Schickling favors the policy. He said students should only take legally prescribed drugs, and that consumption of any illegal substances should be grounds for invalidating federal aid. [continues 588 words]
Each year students across the nation fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and when they do, there's a small box under Question 31 that - if marked - can cost them significant federal aid. College students in the United States and Canada rallied against this question, which asks students if they have been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs, last week as part of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy's week of action. Tom Angell, government relations director for SSDP, said about 40 campuses participated in the week of action against the Aid Elimination Penalty, though K-State was not one of them. [continues 855 words]
Students With a Marijuana Misdemeanor Have Same Consequences The number of on-campus drug arrests increased from 2006 to 2007, and being convicted of a drug offense while in college can put students' federal financial aid packages in jeopardy. The Wright State Police Department made 12 on-campus drug-related arrests in 2006, according to a crime statistics report published by the University. With two-and-a-half months left in the year, the number of campus drug arrests stands at 14 for 2007, according Wendy Chetcuti, Wright State Police Records Manager. [continues 769 words]
Students Work to Halt Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Offenses Stationing themselves in different places on campus this week, members of UConn's chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) urged their peers to speak out regarding a little-known provision in the Higher Education Act. This provision, "The Aid Elimination Penalty" dictates that in addition to being punished by the law, students convicted of drug offenses will lose federal financial aid for college. Punishment is as follows: after a student is convicted of possession of a controlled substance, they lose their aid for one year. After their second offense, they lose aid for two years and after a third offense, they will lose federal aid indefinitely, according to the SSDP Web site. [continues 679 words]
In its campaign for revised laws for students convicted with drug charges, the Students for Sensible Drug Policy group is taking on the Aid Elimination Penalty. The AEP under the Higher Education Act, which was signed into legislation by Congress in 1988, requires that students who apply for federal aid must reveal past drug convictions. SSDP is asking for a full removal of the AEP. According to the SSDP's report titled Harmful Drug Law Hits Home, "the Aid Elimination Penalty automatically strips financial aid from students with any drug conviction, including misdemeanor marijuana possession." [continues 292 words]
National Organization of Reform Marijuana Laws members assembled this past Wednesday to pick up trash on the group's adopted one-mile stretch of Interstate 70. "The main thing, don't pick up animal carcasses, don't touch needles, glass," NORML member sophomore Brandon Jordan said of roadside safety. NORML members carpooled to the north side of I-70 between Clark Lane and Rangeline Street. Members of both NORML and Students for Sensible Drug Policy headed to the littered grass with gloves and garbage bags in hand. [continues 249 words]
Group Hopes Congress Will Finally Ditch Financial Aid Question Since 1998, a lone question tucked away on the government's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form has stopped at least 200,000 potential college students from receiving financial aid, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That was the year that Congress passed the Higher Education Act Aid Elimination Policy, adding a new FASFA question: "Has the student ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" Now a movement is growing to eliminate the question altogether. [continues 446 words]
Convicted drug dealers should not be eligible to receive student financial aid from the state, according to state Rep. Eugene Hahn, R-Cambria, who sponsored a bill being considered by the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities this week. The bill, which mirrors a federal law on federal aid, would prevent a college student convicted of possessing drugs with the intent to sell ineligible for state, loan or work assistance. The restriction would be lifted after a two-year suspension or if the student completes a drug rehabilitation program. [continues 370 words]
The student government of the University of California-Berkeley will offer scholarships to students who have lost federal financial aid because of a drug conviction. Although similar aid has been offered by a handful of private colleges, this is the first time that students at a public university have taken a stand against Question 31 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which asks, "Have you ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" The scholarship - a one-time payment of $400 to an affected student - was conceived by student senator David Israel Wasserman. The vote of support took place last month. [continues 132 words]
Students Nationwide Fight Aid Penalty for Drug Convictions Student governments at universities across the country are teaming up to fight what they see as discrimination against students convicted of drug offenses. While Northeastern's student government has not yet sought legislation against the Aid Elimination Penalty, some students are looking to start a Northeastern chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). The penalty is a controversial 1998 amendment to the Higher Education Act that forbids students with drug convictions from receiving federal financial aid, which some say works against the goals of higher education. [continues 762 words]
EUGENE, Ore. - The biggest problem with question 31 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, which asks whether a student has been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs, is not that it will strip students of their financial aid, but rather that it will scare people off from applying to college in the first place - at least according to University of Oregon Director of Student Financial Aid Elizabeth Bickford. In her experience, the extreme minority of students who initially answered yes to the question soon realized that their convictions didn't affect their aid. Those who do answer yes - that they were convicted of selling or possessing drugs when they were older than 18, while they were receiving federal financial aid and have not completed a drug treatment program - can easily get their aid reinstated, Bickford said. [continues 446 words]
Question 31 on the Fafsa Inspired a UC Berkeley Student Senator to Create a Program That Gives Aid to Those Denied Federal Aid Because of Drug Convictions The biggest problem with question 31 on the FAFSA form, which asks whether a student has been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs, is not that it will strip students of their financial aid, but rather that it will scare people off from applying to school in the first place - at least according to Director of Student Financial Aid Elizabeth Bickford. [continues 514 words]
Students who will be attending college in 2007-08 should start filling out the federal government's financial aid form -- even if they filled it out last year and were denied assistance. Congress made several changes in the federal financial aid formula that could make some families eligible for more, especially those who own a small business or saved money in their student's name. The new formula also goes easier on drug offenders. As always, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) makes the student eligible for an unsubsidized Stafford loan, regardless of income or need. [continues 1350 words]
No Financial Aid for Drug Offenders Smoke pot? If so, your federal financial aid is in jeopardy. The Higher Education Act Aid Elimination Penalty, signed by former President Bill Clinton and passed into law in 1998, requires students to reveal drug convictions to the government when applying for federal aid. The drug conviction question was added to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2000-01 school year. "oeThe question encompasses everything from a single marijuana cigarette up to heroin trafficking," Tom J. Angell, campaigns director of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy in Washington, D.C., said. [continues 388 words]
A federal law preventing college students convicted of drug violation may keep students convicted of past drug violations from receiving financial aid. "About 3 students this school year couldn't get aid because of their drug convictions," said David Chambers, associate director of the Student Aid Office. "It's not fair to single out students who have drug related offense." "Have you ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" is question 31 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid application, the form used by the government to determine eligibility for financial aid. [continues 468 words]
If you're charged with possession of any illegal substance and you're a college student, kiss your financial aid goodbye. But if you're convicted of an alcohol-related offense, you're in the clear. Amid all the financial inquiries on the FAFSA application, why is there a question about drugs? The fact that the federal government asks you about drug convictions rather than any other convictions is absurd. As of 1998, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid has outlined that students who are convicted for possession or selling illegal drugs during the time they are enrolled and receiving federal student aid cannot qualify for the grants, loans and/or work-study. [continues 321 words]
If you're charged with possession of any illegal substance and you're a college student, kiss your financial aid goodbye. But if you're convicted of an alcohol-related offense, you're in the clear. Smoke a joint, lose your financial aid; drink and drive, who cares? If you're charged with possession of any illegal substance and you're a college student, kiss your financial aid goodbye. But if you're convicted of an alcohol-related offense, you're in the clear. Amid all the financial inquiries on the FAFSA application, why is there a question about drugs? [continues 388 words]
A nationwide survey recently released from the US Department of Education has revealed that Rhode Island ranks fifth in denying college aid to drug offenders. Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), an activist group committed to providing public education on harms caused by the "war on drugs," obtained the information after filing a Freedom of Information request with the U.S. Department of Education. The data shows that 807 Rhode Islanders have been denied student aid under a provision of the Higher Education Act since it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1998 and enacted during the 2000-01 school year. [continues 1101 words]
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. [continues 299 words]
Municipal Drug Citations Do Not Force Students To Identify As Offenders On Their FAFSAs University students applying for federal financial aid who have gotten in trouble with the law for marijuana face a quandary: How should they answer question 31 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which asks, "Have you ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" What they should answer depends on whom you talk to. People who have been cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana in Eugene, Corvallis and some other cities may not be legally obligated to answer yes because they received municipal violations, not state or federal convictions, a Eugene police officer and a local attorney said. [continues 1042 words]
Groups Out To Change Federal Law In the past five years, almost 1,900 students or prospective students at Arkansas colleges and universities have been denied federal student aid because they admitted to a drug conviction, according to recently released data from the U.S. Department of Education. Arkansas had the eighthhighest rate -- 0.27 percent -- of post-secondary students denied aid among all states, the data show. Nationally, nearly 190,000 students, or about 1 per 400, lost out on funding because of a provision to the Higher Education Act signed into law by President Clinton. Most federal student aid is awarded through Pell Grants, which contribute up to $3,125 per year to an undergraduate, according to the Education Department. The release of a state-bystate breakdown in late April has added steam to the effort of student groups, educators and legislators -- including U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark. -- to repeal the law. On March 22, Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based group that "educates on the harm caused by the war on drugs," filed a class-action lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union against the Education Department, calling for aid to be given to students who were denied it because of drug convictions. There are three plaintiffs so far, none from Arkansas. Snyder is co-sponsoring a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the provision. "Here's the problem: These are people who are being candid about their past," Snyder said of denied students. "They've been accepted into school. [continues 887 words]
When Drug Users Lose Federal Funding, Harvard Steps In High school marijuana users everywhere breathed a heavy, smoke-tinged sigh of relief this past February 1. On that day, Congress amended the Higher Education Act (HEA): College students with pre-college drug offenses would again be eligible for federal financial aid. But students with offenses during college still forfeit their funds from the government--and a spate of drug-related incidents earlier this year at Harvard has raised questions about the inviolability of financial aid at the College. [continues 1024 words]
More than 16,800 students nationwide were denied financial aid during the 2005-06 school year because of a drug conviction. The U.S. Department of Education released statistics regarding a law passed in 1998 which reduces federal student aid eligibility to students with past drug convictions. "This policy discourages access to education among low-to middle-class people, because those in the upper class are less likely to apply for financial aid," said Tom Angell, campaign director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. [continues 344 words]
Oregon Has Denied Thousands Of Students' FAFSAs Because Of Drug-Related Convictions, Report Says The police caught him once with a bag of marijuana. They caught him again with a pipe. The University student, who asked to remain anonymous, said his drug convictions have forced him to lie on his Free Application for Federal Student Aid form for each of the past four years because otherwise he would lose the financial aid that he depends on to pay his entire tuition. [continues 963 words]
Drug Convictions Affect Thousands Drug convictions may cost students more than a clean criminal record; they could cost them their financial aid. Thousands of Louisiana students have been denied federal financial aid because of drug convictions, according to statistics released by Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Since the enactment of the Higher Education Act Drug Provision Penalty in 1998, a total of 189,065 students nationwide have been denied aid. Of the 1,333,912 Louisiana applicants, 2,890 students were denied aid. Louisiana had 0.22 percent of applicants denied, which is slightly lower than the national average of 0.25 percent. [continues 339 words]
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hundreds of Maine college students have lost access to federal financial aid in the past six years because of drug offenses or refusal to answer questions about possible convictions. Critics of the federal policy barring aid to such applicants are trying to overturn it. In Maine, the policy has blocked aid to 669 of 356,394 applicants, according to U.S. Department of Education figures. A state-by-state tally was assembled for the first time this month by the advocacy group Students for Sensible Drug Policy. [continues 455 words]
While it still has until next month, the U.S. Dept. of Education has yet to respond to a lawsuit challenging its policy of withholding financial aid from students with prior drug convictions. Filed on March 22 by the nonprofit organization Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the lawsuit aims to eliminate a provision in the Higher Education Act that denies federal loans and aid to students with prior drug convictions, said Tom Angell, campaigns director for SSDP. The Dept. of Education has 60 days from the time of filing to respond before the case goes to trial. [continues 639 words]
More than 200 Vermont college students were denied federal financial aid in the past six years because they admitted to a drug conviction or declined to answer the question. Vermont's rejection rate -- 204 out of 172,625 applications filed, or 0.12 percent -- is the lowest in the nation, according U.S. Department of Education figures released Monday. Over the same time period, the policy resulted in 541 of 322,761 applicants (0.17 percent) being denied aid in New Hampshire and 669 of 356,394 financial aid applicants (0.19 percent) in Maine. [continues 611 words]
More than 3,300 prospective college students in Tennessee have been denied federal financial aid since the 2000-01 school year due to prior drug convictions, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Education. Nationally, about 200,000 students were denied federal aid during that time period. The total number of national applications was about 77 million, while Tennessee had about 1.4 million. Recently, the Department of Education released the data following a Freedom of Information Act request by the Washington D.C-based nonprofit group Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). The federal department had refused to release both the national and state-by-state count of students denied federal financial aid on grounds that it would be counter-productive to the anti-drug message. [continues 423 words]
According To Report 190,000 Students Denied Aid Nationally Over Span Of Five Years Oregon ranked second highest out of the 50 states among financial aid applicants denied because they responded yes to a conviction of selling or possessing drugs. On April 12, the U.S. Department of Education released the state-by-state breakdown of the number of federal financial aid applicants denied either part of or all of their financial aid award. In 2005, when the drug-conviction amendment came up for reconsideration, it was modified to deny aid only to those students convicted of drug sales or possession while in college. Past convictions will no longer be held against financial aid applicants. [continues 629 words]
For the last five years, current and hopeful UI students caught toking up in their dorms, in a back alley, or at a Dave Matthews Band concert could've lost their student aid - and 2,367 of them from Iowa did. The Hawkeye state ranked 12th in the nation in terms of students denied financial aid because of a drug conviction, according to a report released by the Department of Education at the request of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. However, the student group and others say the accuracy of the numbers - - which come from prospective students in the United States and internationally - could be much higher because students can be deterred from applying or will simply lie on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. [continues 313 words]
Hundreds of Oklahomans have been denied federal financial aid for college because they have drug convictions. A report by Students for Sensible Drug Policy states that 2,508 Oklahomans -- the 11th highest percentage in the nation -- could not receive aid the past five years because of a provision of the Higher Education Act. About 190,000 would-be students have been affected nationwide, or about one in every 400, said the group, which obtained the information through the settlement of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education. [continues 397 words]
WASHINGTON - Drug offenses, or refusal to answer questions about possible convictions, booted 8,903 Hoosier applicants out of contention for federal financial aid for college in the past six academic years, about one out of every 200 requests for grants or loans. Students who are convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs can lose all or part of their eligibility for the $67 million federal pool for grants, loans and work-study assistance under legislation written in the 1990s by Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd. [continues 396 words]
In 2000, a Federal law came into effect that brought a whole new set of worries to students convicted of certain drug offense. They can be stripped of their eligibility for financial aid. Since then, more than 175,000 would-be students have been denied financial aid under that prohibition in the Higher Education Act, according to the American Civil Liberties Union Web site. Since then, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and the ACLU have filed a lawsuit that challenges the drug provision of the law that blocks financial aid to students with drug offenses. [continues 489 words]
In 1998, Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., an advocate of stringent drug laws, slipped into a House bill an amendment denying federal financial aid for college to anyone who had been convicted of either selling or possessing drugs. No congressional committee voted on the amendment. But it passed as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, first enacted in 1965 to create federal financial aid for college students. In 2004, the group Students for Sensible Drug Policy asked the federal government to give it a state-by-state breakdown of the number of students denied aid as a result of Souder's amendment. The Department of Education demanded $4,124.19 for the information. SSDP asked for a fee waiver, arguing that releasing the information was in the public's interest and that the group is a cash-strapped nonprofit. The agency denied SSDP's request, arguing that releasing the data could lead to drug legalization. Public Citizen backed SSDP in court. The New York Times editorialized on its behalf. The federal government blinked. On Wednesday, the Department of Education gave SSDP the state-by-state numbers. Here they are. http://www.slate.com/id/2139803/sidebar/2139804/ [continues 481 words]
Dept. Of Education Faces Lawsuit Despite being passed six years ago, a higher education act continues to receive criticism. Under the higher education act, students with drug convictions are ineligible for federal financial aid to attend institutions of higher learning. Federal financial aid includes grants, loans and work study programs. On Jan. 26, the Students for Sensible Drug Policy requested that the Department of Education release a state-by-state breakdown of students denied federal financial aid. Tom Angell, campaign director for the SSDP, said the Department of Education tried to charge the SSDP $4,100 for the document. The organization threatened to challenge the charge in court, and the Department of Education dropped the fee. [continues 588 words]
If a recent lawsuit filed on behalf of a student organization proves successful, college students who have been denied federal student aid because of drug convictions may be entitled to once again receive government aid. On March 29 the American Civil Liberties Union filed a case in a South Dakota federal court on behalf of the organization Students for Sensible Drug Policy, which is seeking to repeal a drug amendment to the Higher Education Act. The amendment, sponsored in 1998 by Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., denies federal student aid such as Stafford Loans and Pell Grants to students with drug convictions. [continues 912 words]
Students can be denied federal financial aid for a number of valid reasons related to aid itself, such as having a poor academic record and being in default of a previous federal loan. But one rationale for denying aid, admitting to being convicted of possession or sale of drugs, stands out as unnecessarily punitive and unrelated to the process of receiving aid. At least 10 University students were affected winter term because of this provision, according to Ilona Koleszar, director of ASUO Legal Services. [continues 482 words]
A Group Is Suing To Change A Provision Denying Federal Aid To Students Convicted Of Drug Crimes Question 31 of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a familiar document to more than half of the University's students, reads: "Have you ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" Students who answer yes to it don't get federal financial aid. Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a national student group based in Washington, D.C., has filed a class action lawsuit challenging the provision of the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 that has stripped federal financial aid from more than 150,000 students convicted of drug possession or distribution since it was enacted in 2000. [continues 569 words]
Students denied federal financial aid could get their money back if a lawsuit against the Department of Education is successful. The Students for Sensible Drug Policy organization partnered with the American Civil Liberties Union to file a lawsuit Tuesday against legislation preventing students with drug convictions from receiving federal financial aid. Margaret Spellings, secretary of the U. S. Department of Education, was named the defendant in SSDP v. Spellings, which was filed in the U. S. District Court for the District of South Dakota. [continues 411 words]
The search for college funding can be a tough part of every student's life. Financial aid is one effort aimed at providing federal and state funding for those in need. Unfortunately, those convicted of certain drug offenses while enrolled are ineligible to receive federal financial aid. As part of the federal government's ongoing effort to support the success of students and increase the population's access to higher education, the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 was meant to improve student access to resources and financial assistance. Part of the initiative was a stipulation that required the HEA to be revaluated and re-authorized roughly every four or five years. [continues 763 words]
In relaxing rules which made students with drug conviction ineligible for federal financial aid, the U.S. Congress has taken a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it is only a small step, one which leaves the flaws of the original rules in place and does nothing to address the hypocrisy at the law's core. Under the proposed new rules governing eligibility for federal financial aid, drug offenders who were not enrolled in school or receiving aid at the time of their convictions will qualify. People who are convicted of a drug possession offense while receiving aid will be ineligible for one year. The second conviction brings two years of ineligibility and the third will indefinitely disqualify the offender for federal financial aid. Penalties for selling are harsher. [continues 351 words]
Hundreds of Tennessee students can hope to get a second shot at gaining eligibility for federal financial aid thanks to a bill that passed the U.S. Congress last week. The bill scales back a law that stripped financial aid from college students with drug convictions. The drug provision was originally enacted in 1988. College students had to declare prior drug convictions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). An answer of "yes" to the drug conviction question basically rendered the student ineligible to receive financial aid, regardless of whether the conviction was prior to the person's entering college. [continues 421 words]
Prior drug convictions will no longer stop students from receiving Financial Aid if President Bush approves a revision to the Higher Education Act of 1998. On Feb. 1, Congress voted to change the act, which has made it impossible for those who have been convicted of a drug offense to receive federal aid. The new policy will make past drug charges not matter when applying for aid, but students who are convicted of a drug crime while receiving aid will still be ineligible. [continues 377 words]
