Pubdate: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 Source: Dayton Daily News (OH) Contact: http://www.activedayton.com/partners/ddn/ Forum: http://www.activedayton.com/entertainment/forums_chat/ DRUG PAST ERASING CHANCES FOR AID WASHINGTON--Nearly 7,000 college students who applied for financial aid this fall are finding past drug convictions returning to haunt them. The students are being told they are ineligible for some or all federal financial aid because of a new law. Under the law, which took effect with the 2000-01 academic year, students with drug-related convictions can be ruled ineligible for federal grants or loans. Of the 8.6 million applications processed through Oct. 15, 1,311 applicants have been ruled ineligible, and an additional 5,617 must complete a waiting period before they become eligible. Students can lose one year of federal aid eligibility for a first conviction on a drug-possession charge, and two years for a second conviction. They can be suspended indefinitely for a third conviction. About 790,000 applicants initially failed to answer the question of whether they had been convicted of using drugs when they filled out their student aid applications. But the Education Department contacted many of those students, and the number of those who have not yet answered is now down to 275,000. Department officials allowed college and university administrators to award aid this year to those who left the question blank, but warned those students to alert the department of any drug convictions or risk penalties for lying on their forms. The drug-conviction restriction was imposed by Congress when it renewed the Higher Education Act in 1998. The provision denies aid to students who have been convicted in state or federal court of possessing or selling drugs. Kristi Ringor, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Students Association in Washington, said her organization fought the policy and remains opposed to it. "It denies access to education to those who need it most," she said. "It is not a sound anti-drug policy." - ---