But Challenges Await Drug-Conviction Policy Some college students or would-be students who were denied federal financial aid for past drug convictions will regain eligibility under a measure passed last week by Congress and expected to be signed soon by President Bush. But students convicted of a drug felony or misdemeanor in college will still be disqualified from receiving federal aid for at least one year. Now, the American Civil Liberties Union is preparing to challenge the constitutionality of that law. And other groups opposed to the drug penalty are pursuing reforms on the state level. [continues 552 words]
The drug provision of the Higher Education Act (HEA) has denied federal financial aid to those convicted of the possession or sale of controlled substances since 1998. Two thirds of undergraduates receive some form of aid from the University, sometimes including federal funds. However, there has not been a movement on campus to repeal the amendment of the HEA, despite the fact that it is up for reevaluation in Congress for the first time in seven years. The Undergraduate Council did not follow 160 other student governments last March, including those of Yale, Columbia, and Brown Universities, by adopting a resolution calling for an end to the aid ban. In the absence of action by the UC, Harvard has no advocacy organization that deals with drug legalization. Larsen Santos '06, chair of development for Drug Policy and Legalization - a Harvard group that exists only on facebook com - said he could not give suggestions for actions students might take to combat the provision. [continues 708 words]
Several beggars lined Speaker's Circle on Thursday morning with signs that read, "Will work for tuition" and "FAFSA makes this box my home sweet home." Their pockets were symbolically hanging out of their pants. The MU chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy posed as beggars to show the impact of a law that keeps students with prior drug convictions from receiving federal financial aid. "We have our pockets out to symbolize that we're begging people for relief from this law," chapter President Joe Bartlett said. [continues 344 words]
Fair or not, students with drug convictions lose financial aid for post-secondary education. According to a provision in the Higher Education Act, students applying for federal financial aid who admit to a drug conviction lose funding. All applicants must answer Question 31 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that reads, "Has the student ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" If students answer yes to the question, they are not eligible for aid such as the Pell Grant and Stafford Student Loans. [continues 391 words]
Provision of Higher Ed. Act Under Review A specific provision of the Higher Education Act, which is being re-examined by Congress this year, has come into question because of the restrictions it places on the ability of students to get Federal Financial Aid for secondary education if they have had a drug conviction. According to the current form of the Higher Education Act, anyone applying for federal aid with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must answer Question 31 which states, "Has the student ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" and goes on to clarify with the following information, "A federal law suspends federal student aid eligibility for students convicted under federal or state law for possession of or sale of illegal drugs (not including alcohol and tobacco). If the answer to this question is 'Yes,' you will be taken to the Question 31 Worksheet to help you determine whether this law affects the student's eligibility for federal student aid. Count only federal or state convictions. Do not count convictions that have been removed from his/her record. Do not count convictions that occurred before the student turned 18, unless he/she was tried as an adult." [continues 598 words]
Drug Convictions Cost Students Their Federal Aid A controversial provision added to the Higher Education Act in 1998, which blocks federal aid to students convicted of drug use, is up for reauthorization this year by Congress. Mark Souder, R-Ind., wrote the provision to "deter students from using and selling drugs," but critics like Tom Angell, campaigns director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said this provision would be punishing students with drug convictions twice for the same crime. "Drug crimes are the only infractions that students lose aid for murderers and rapists are still eligible," he said. [continues 318 words]
Thousands of students denied financial aid for drug convictions, according to report Over 41,000 potential students were denied federal financial aid during the 2003-04 academic year because they either reported a drug conviction or refused to answer a question about drug convictions on their federal financial aid application, according to a Government Accounting Office report. The report, published in September, studied the impact of a provision added to the federal Higher Education Act in 1998, which added a question Free Application for Federal Student Aid asking applicants if they have ever been convicted of a drug crime. Applicants who answer yes or refuse to answer the question can be denied all federal financial aid, including Pell Grants and federal loans. [continues 567 words]
Smoking Dope Really Can Make You Stupid Tucked away in the fine print of the Higher Education Act is a drug provision mandating the suspension of students' federal financial aid if they have been convicted under federal or state laws for offenses involving the possession or sale of controlled substances. The little-known provision's strict enforcement strips students of their financial aid, and for some, their ability to receive a college education because of past mistakes. Between 17,000 and 41,000 students nationwide were denied student loans from 2001 to 2004, according to a report published by the Government Accountability Office. [continues 377 words]
As Congress considers changes to the Higher Education Act, UC Berkeley, along with 250 organizations nationwide, is calling for an end to a provision that restricts students with past drug convictions from receiving financial aid. As an amendment of the act in 1998, the provision denies students who have been convicted of certain drug charges from receiving the benefits of Pell Grants, student loans and work study monies. But the future of the law is in jeopardy as legislators take their first steps in loosening the provision through a bill that would limit the penalty to students who commit drug crimes while in college. [continues 429 words]
Daily Staff Writer October 11, 2005 A law preventing drug offenders from receiving financial aid from the federal government is not benefiting society, according to a student advocacy group. The group, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, was reacting to a study by the Government Accountability Office released Sept. 26. The GAO study found that tens of thousands of Free Application for Federal Student Aid applicants were denied postsecondary education benefits in 2004 because of the drug provision, although that number only makes up 0.3 percent of all applicants that year. [continues 548 words]
Congress released a report last week on the effects that the 1998 amendment to the Higher Education Act has on student drug use. The law denies federal financial aid to students with drug convictions. The study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office showed that more than 175,000 students with drug convictions have been denied financial aid. "They were unable to find evidence that denying financial aid reduces drug use by young people," said Tom Angell, campaign director for Students for Sensible Drug Policy. [continues 479 words]
Rape. Murder. Drunk driving. None of these crimes will cost college students their Pell Grants, but walking down the street with a joint could. As of July 1, 2000, a provision in the Higher Education Act mandated that students' eligibility for federal financial aid be suspended if they are convicted under federal or state laws of offenses involving the possession or sale of controlled substances. The Web site detailing the act defines a controlled substance as illegal drugs, not including alcohol or tobacco. [continues 1439 words]
The U.S. Department of Education has removed from its Web site incorrect information about the eligibility for federal aid of students with drug convictions, despite saying last week that it could not fix the error until late July. The corrected page, on the part of the department's Web site with information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or Fafsa, now instructs students to complete a "drug-conviction worksheet" to learn if drug convictions affect their eligibility. Previously, the page incorrectly stated that students "must not have any drug convictions" to receive aid (The Chronicle, July 1). [continues 84 words]
The reason to fear drugs, we are told, is that they rob us of motivation and sense, that they destroy our ability to seize opportunities and make positive contributions to the world. And sometimes they do. But though society should be upset when it catches young people with illicit drugs, it would be the worst possible step to possibly destroy these juvenile offenders' futures because of a mistake they made in high school. Yet, this is currently the policy of the United States. [continues 657 words]
Apparently, Rep. Mark Souder is not a popular man within the drug culture. An Internet search of "Rep. Souder" produces dozens of pro-marijuana Web sites, every one in opposition to our congressman. There must be something about the nature of the agenda that prevents the pro-cannabis crowd from being completely honest when they promote their cause. I refer to the opinion piece by Marisa Garcia, a sociology major at California State University at Fullerton, "Souder's drug provision keeps good kids out of college" (April 9). She complained that she could not receive federal student aid after her drug conviction, and that it was Souder's fault. [continues 191 words]
Collins Urged To Support Student Aid Change WASHINGTON - Wayne Toothaker Jr. says he knows he made a mistake in using and trafficking in drugs. But he does not think a lifestyle he put behind him a year ago should be preventing him now from getting financial aid for college. "I learned my lesson," said Toothaker, who said he is in a drug rehabilitation program and has been clean for nearly a year. "I don't get involved with drugs or alcohol anymore. But because of that in my past, I can't get money to pay for college now." [continues 638 words]
Congress is examining whether a past drug conviction should determine a student's financial aid status. A national organization of college students, Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, is the driving force behind the congressional proposal to have the question completely removed from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Question 31 on the FAFSA asks if the applicant has ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal substances. If the applicant has been convicted, aid can be cut. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., introduced a bill in March to remove the question from the FAFSA. It was added in 1998 by Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., as a part of the Higher Education Act. [continues 523 words]
Washington- A week ago, Chris Burnside was a University of Toledo senior cut off from federal financial aid because of a 2002 drug conviction - or so he thought. His family made sacrifices, including postponing his father's retirement, so he could go to school. It turns out that some of the sacrifices may not have been necessary. To Burnside's shock - and possibly to the surprise of thousands of others - the law that penalizes drug offenders by denying them college aid has plenty of loopholes, and purposely so. In fact, someone can get busted tomorrow and still get loans or grants for next fall. [continues 757 words]
Proposal Would End Ban On Aid GREENSBORO -- Proposed changes to a federal financial aid law would allow students who have been convicted on drug-related charges to receive grants and loans that help pay for college. Financial aid experts said the law could also cut delays for financial aid applications filed by those without drug convictions. The Removing Impediments to Students' Education Act would repeal restrictions that have been in place since 2000. Congressman Mel Watt, a Democrat whose district includes parts of High Point and Greensboro, is one of about 50 co-sponsors of the bill repealing the provision. [continues 356 words]
Many Back Legislation To Sever The Link Between Aid And Drug Convictions Some Iowa college students and financial aid officials are hailing legislation in Congress that would once again allow students with drug convictions to qualify for federal financial aid. "We feel that the provision was counterproductive," said George Pappas of Chicago, a University of Iowa senior majoring in political science. "It's basically taking the opportunity of education away from people who may have a drug problem but are wanting to turn their lives around." [continues 355 words]
Background: This is the third of four weekly editorials on the Solomon-Souder amendment to the Higher Education Act. The provision denies federal financial aid for a period of time to those convicted of drug possession or distribution. Congress is reauthorizing the act this year and has the opportunity to repeal this law. On the 2005-2006 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, it's Question 31: "Has the student ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" [continues 680 words]
The question on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid about whether an applicant has had a previous drug conviction may be removed by a congressional committee. "The committee's goal is to eliminate irrelevant questions which have no bearing for financial need," said Diane Fleming, CMU's associate director of client services for Scholarships and Financial Aid. The committee was appointed by Congress to advise for changes for financial aid ability. Eliminating the question was part of many recommendations by the committee. The question was added during the last reauthorization period in 1998. The next reauthorization period was set to occur last year, but was postponed until this year and will expire September 2005. [continues 332 words]
Criminalizing popular behavior didn't work during Prohibition, and it doesn't work now. Denying financial aid to students on the basis of drug convictions makes even less sense. People who admit to three drug-possession convictions or two drug-selling convictions, can be made indefinitely ineligible for all federal financial aid - loans, grants, work-study dollars and scholarships. What has this accomplished so far? The United States has the highest incarceration rate of any nation in the world, but we still have a drug problem. Mandatory sentencing for drug offenders filled our prisons, but did nothing to curb drug use. Adding additional penalties for drug users who have been sentenced and paid their penalties is an implicit admission to the failure of the war on drugs. [continues 298 words]
Terms Made More Than 157,000 Ineligible For Aid A congressionally appointed committee called for the removal of a question about drug convictions from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) known as the "drug provision," something the Students for Sensible Drug Policy has been calling for since its enactment. "Too many students have been turned away at the doors to higher education because of this harmful policy," said Scarlett Swerdlow, executive director of SSDP. "Denying education to young people caught with drugs does nothing to help solve our nation's drug problems; it only makes them worse. Congress should immediately adopt the committee's recommendation." [continues 373 words]
Students who apply for financial aid in future years might notice a query missing from the application. The question about whether an applicant has had a previous drug conviction was recommended to be removed from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, last week by a congressionally appointed committee. "The drug question is irrelevant - it is not something that should even be taken into account," said Tom Angell, communications director for Students for Sensible Drug Policy. "The appearance of the question on the form could deter students from applying - even if they are actually eligible." [continues 519 words]
A question on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form that could deny a student any financial aid is being considered for revision after gaining criticism. The law, added to the Higher Education Act of 1998 and designed by Congressman Mark Souder, (R-IN), asks whether the applying student has had any drug convictions. "Students are wondering how closing doors will help the current drug problems among young people today," Tom Angell, communications director for Students for Sensible Drug Policy said. [continues 412 words]
Students convicted for possession of marijuana or for the sale of a controlled substance are stripped of federal financial aid due to the Drug Provision in the Higher Education Act (HEA). Last year, 755,187 people were arrested for marijuana violations in America, according to an FBI report released Oct. 25. The number of annual marijuana arrests has doubled since 1993. This year's total is the largest in history. "Arresting more Americans for marijuana possession does nothing to prevent drug abuse in our country," said Scarlett Swerdlow, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). "When students are arrested, they are put at risk of losing financial aid, forcing them away from education and into cycles of crime and failure. Blocking access to education will only worsen our nation's drug problems," she said. [continues 943 words]
Students Lose Their Financial Aid If They Are Convicted of Drug Possession. Like many college students, Richard Boadu, marketing senior, has experimented with drugs. Last summer, Boadu smoked marijuana for the first time since junior high school, but at the time, he didn't know that it could cost him his education. As a current student, Boadu could not afford tuition at OU without the help of Pell Grants, which unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. Boadu was unaware at the time that if police had caught him in possession of marijuana, he could have lost his federal financial aid for one year or more. [continues 623 words]
Students For Sensible Drug Policy Call Politicians Members of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy inspired more than 80 students to make phone calls to state legislative offices Tuesday as part of a national "phone slam" to repeal the Higher Education Act's drug provision. "We wanted to raise awareness and have as many phone calls go in to the offices as possible," said Gabrielle Guzzardo, president of SSDP. The drug provision denies federal funds to students with past drug convictions and was passed as an amendment to the Higher Education Act in 1998. [continues 196 words]
Former Western student Charles Weisner, 29, was arrested in 1997 for a felony possession of marijuana - because of a federal law, that charge still haunts him seven years later. Weisner, along with many students throughout the nation, said he is afraid to file a financial aid application because the Bush administration is stringently enforcing the federal Higher Education Act, which prevents applicants with prior drug convictions from receiving federal aid. But students such as Weisner may not have to worry much longer if an amendment to the Higher Education Act, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., the bill's original author, is passed. [continues 676 words]
Drug Convictions Bar Students From Financial Aid Some Columbia students are concerned marijuana possession charges could deny students nationwide the financial aid assistance they need to stay in college. Believing U.S. government policy in the current war on drugs is harmful and misguided, a group of Columbia students is looking to start a student organization designed to raise awareness of the issues surrounding drug use and the ways in which drug laws affect educational opportunities. A group of more than 15 students is working on setting up a Columbia chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a national organization committed to getting the word out about the harmful effects of current drug laws. The group is currently working on gathering members and completing the steps necessary to be officially recognized by the Student Organization Council. Louis Silverstein, an instructor in the Liberal Education Department, has agreed to serve as the group's faculty adviser. [continues 767 words]
Congress passed a law in 1998 prohibiting federal student financial aid from going to students that convicted of a drug crime. Congress intended to deter students already in college from using drugs with the bill. If a student was convicted of a drug crime, their financial aid was revoked, putting the student's academic future in jeopardy. Now, five years later, representatives are rethinking the logic and the enforcement of the law. The law, which was supposed to be a deterrent of drug use, has come to deny thousands of students who have minor drug convictions on their record the chance to go to school, while allowing convicted murderers, armed robbers and rapists to receive financial aid to go to college once they serve their time and are released from prison. [continues 338 words]
Since 2000, more than 128,000 students have been ineligible for federal aid because of their response to one question on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. That question asks applicants to indicate if they have "ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs." The drug question wasn't always on the form. The Department of Education added it after Congress last updated the Higher Education Act in 1998. During that reauthorization process, a rider amendment was added that made students with drug convictions ineligible for aid. In an unfortunate irony, this provision has harmed the same students from low-and middle-income families the Higher Education Act is intended to assist. [continues 346 words]
Allowing students to live in residence halls after being caught with marijuana was one of many topics discussed Monday night during an open forum with University of Iowa President David Skorton and Dean of Students Phillip E. Jones. Loss of financial aid because of past drug convictions also drew questions from a handful of students during the second session of "Hanging with P and D," the school's newest reality show created to address student concerns. About 45 to 50 students a year have been suspended or evicted from living in UI residence halls for possessing, using, manufacturing, distributing or selling illegal substances such as marijuana, Jones said. UI residence halls have a zero-tolerance policy, meaning if students get caught with illegal substances they are suspended from the dorms and could face criminal charges, according to school residence hall policies. [continues 335 words]
CHICAGO -- Thousands of college-aid applicants have been denied federal money over the past five years because they were convicted of possessing or selling drugs -- a policy supporters say serves as a deterrent to drug use and ensures that aid goes to those who deserve it. But opponents are gearing up to jettison the provision when the Higher Education Act comes up for renewal this year, arguing that education should not be used as a weapon in the war on drugs. The policy disproportionately hurts lower-income families least able to afford tuition, they say, while noting that punishment for such offenses is meted out in court. [continues 614 words]
Despite a federal crackdown and an increase in the tenacity of anti-drug laws, some students believe there has not been a noticeable decrease in the amount of drugs dealt on the University of Wisconsin campus. "I don't think much has changed in the last few years," said Aaron Monroe of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. Monroe's group advocates against a stipulation that was added to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that restricts students with prior drug convictions from receiving financial assistance for college. [continues 412 words]
Criminal Convictions Can Rob Students of Financial Aid Drug convictions could mean more than just legal ramifications -- they could affect a student's ability to attain a college degree. A drug conviction can disqualify a student for federal financial aid, according to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The stipulation, commonly known as the The Drug-Free Student Aid Provision Educational Campaign, stems from a 1998 amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965. However, for action to be taken, the convicted student must report the offense to his or her educational institution. [continues 1077 words]
Editor: The Higher Education Act was signed into law more than three decades ago by President Lyndon B. Johnson to open the door for all Americans to a college education to whom it had earlier been closed. It establishes federal financial aid programs such as Perkins Loans, Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, PLUS Loans and Work-Study programs. The act is periodically reviewed and updated by Congress to ensure adequate funding and access to college for millions of Americans. Then, the 1998 revision to the HEA included a new provision that blocked college opportunities to students revealing drug convictions on their free application for federal student aid. [continues 321 words]
"The Higher Education Act" was signed into law over three decades ago by President Lyndon Johnson to open the door for all Americans to a college education. It establishes federal financial aid programs and work-study programs. The act is periodically reviewed and updated by Congress. The 1998 revision to the HEA included a new provision that blocked college opportunities to students revealing drug convictions on their free application for federal student aid. This is completely discriminatory to children of lesser means or adults who want to continue their education and better themselves but cannot because of a possession charge. This is strictly a law against poor people, but what else is new? Over 150,000 students have lost their chance at education and we're still counting. This is an outright disaster. [continues 138 words]
Congress To Re-Examine Higher Education Act; Student Hopes For Drug Provision Repeal Russell Selkirk was doing the wrong thing at the wrong place at the wrong time. During winter break after his first quarter as an Ohio State student, Selkirk was sitting in a vehicle outside a a bar with a friend smoking marijuana. He was confronted by two undercover police officers, handcuffed and put in the back of a cruiser. Several weeks later, he pleaded no contest to charges of drug abuse and drug paraphernalia; class four misdemeanors - the lowest level misdemeanor a person would need to make a court appearance for. [continues 1001 words]
In an attempt to repeal what he believes is a discriminatory law, Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) has reintroduced H.R. 685, a bill to repeal the Higher Education Act Drug Provision. The HEA was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 as a means to give lower income students access to loans and financial aid to attend college. The Drug Provision was amended to the HEA in 1998 as a weapon in the "war on drugs." The provision states that any student convicted of possessing or selling any controlled substance loses eligibility to receive any grants, loans or work assistance under the HEA. This ineligibility period begins from the date of conviction and ends with a one or two year wait, or it can be indefinite, based on whether it is a first, second or third offense and whether the conviction was for possession or selling. [continues 661 words]
When students apply for federal financial aid, they are asked whether they have ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs. A bill reintroduced in the House of Representatives last month could make that question disappear. An amendment added to the Higher Education Act in 1998 dictated that applicants who had been convicted of selling or possessing illegal drugs would be denied federal aid. These applicants are ineligible for aid for as little as one or two years or indefinitely, depending on the type and frequency of the offense. [continues 825 words]
The 2003-04 Free Application for Federal Student Aid priority deadline is today. If a bill passes through Congress, honest students convicted of a drug-related offense who answered FAFSA question 35 accordingly may still be able to maintain their financial aid next year. The Higher Education Act of 1965 provides government assistance to college students through financial aid. A 1998 amendment stipulates that students with drug convictions will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid. Bill HR 685, introduced Feb. 11 to the House by Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) and co-sponsored by Representative Stephen LaTourette (R-OH), will revoke the drug amendment if passed. [continues 542 words]
A coalition of organizations wants to scrap a question on the FAFSA that denies aid to some students Question No. 35 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid causes some University students to stumble, then stop. The question, called the Higher Education Act Drug Provision, asks about past convictions for possessing or selling illegal drugs. Students must answer the question, and a lingering conviction can potentially affect one's ability to receive financial aid. But the Coalition for Higher Education Act Reform is working with Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and 44 national organizations to remove the drug provision from the FAFSA. Frank introduced the bill to Congress last week; a voting date has not yet been set. [continues 279 words]
House Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has proposed an opportunity for those students convicted of minor drug crimes, to receive financial aid. In a new attempt to repeal the Higher Education Act Drug Provision, a bill that has already prevented more than 100,000 students from receiving financial aid, Frank has called on the help of fellow representatives to help gain support for his cause. The bill, H.R. 685, was introduced on Feb. 11 with 39 cosponsors, and Frank pledged to push for its passage, even though it will be an uphill fight with the House still controlled by Republicans. [continues 505 words]
Author Says Legislation Is Not a Drug Endorsement U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., submitted a bill last week to repeal legislation enacted in 2000 that delays or prohibits financial aid for college applicants who have been convicted of a drug offense. The current law, part of the Higher Education Act, makes students convicted of drug possession ineligible for financial aid for one year from the time of conviction for their first offense. Applicants must wait two years if convicted twice and are barred from federal aid permanently for three offenses. [continues 404 words]
Beginning with the 2000-01 school year, students who have been convicted of selling or possessing drugs will be denied federal financial aid. This new law is a provision of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1998. Students will be seeing the provision in the form of a question. Question 28 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) addresses the issue of drug convictions. Although in effect this year, many students did not answer question 28. This year, more than 750,000 students left question 28 on the FAFSA blank. With financial aid offices facing such large numbers of students to contact about the question, the Education Department stepped in. The Education Department took a survey of a number of students who left the question blank. What they found was that instead of many students who would have been ineligible for aid due to drug convictions, most students left the question blank because they either didn' t understand it or they simply forgot to answer it. Because of the confusion and the large numbers of students who had already filed a FAFSA, it was decided that students who left the question blank would receive aid for the 2000-01 school year. However, starting with the 2001-02 school year, students who leave the question blank will not receive aid. [continues 941 words]
Tonight, the UF Student Senate will be presented with a unique opportunity. Our student representatives will vote on a resolution calling for the reform of the drug-free student loan provision of the Higher Education Act. During the 2002-2003 school year, more than 30,000 students who answered "yes" to question 35 on the Free Application For Federal Student Aid: "Have you ever been convicted of selling or possessing drugs?" have been denied federal financial aid. Adding this to the two previous years' total, there have been more than 87,000 students affected by this arbitrary amendment spawned by Congressman Mark Souder, R-Fort Wayne, Ind. [continues 354 words]
The Students for a Sensible Drug Policy Hope Chapter (SSDP) is gathering support in its bid to help overturn a federal law that prevents students with a drug conviction from obtaining financial aid. To date SSDP has collected more than 500 signatures. The group hopes that official endorsements by URI and Brown University will persuade U.S. Reps. James Langevin and Patrick Kennedy to support the effort. Tom Angell, President of URI's SSDP Hope Chapter is optimistic about the whole campaign. "We have a lot of support from students and faculty, including Dr. Carothers and Dom Murgo," Angell said. "We also are excited to have substantial assistance from similar campaigns at Brown University." [continues 475 words]
The Students for a Sensible Drug Policy Hope Chapter is beginning a campaign that will attempt to give students with drug convictions access to federal student aid by raising support for a bill known as H.R. 786 in the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed the bill would repeal the provision prohibiting persons convicted of drug offenses from receiving student financial assistance. There were no restrictions prohibiting students with drug convictions from receiving aid until 1998 when the Souder Amendment was passed. [continues 661 words]
