Pubdate: Fri, 05 Apr 2002
Source: Montana Standard (MT)
Copyright: 2002 Montana Standard
Contact:  http://www.mtstandard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/609
Note: From the Goshen, Ind., News

A SECOND CHANCE

Decrying government policy in the hope of repeal is common. Less so is 
taking the initiative to work outside the system, and detractors of a 
federal student aid guideline are doing just that. The law in question is 
designed to keep federal aid dollars out of the hands of college students 
who have criminal drug records. On the federal student aid application, 
fund-seekers are asked if they've ever been convicted of possessing or 
selling illegal drugs.

For those answering " yes," one possession conviction renders students 
unable to receive aid for a year after conviction. For a second possession 
or first drugsale conviction, the funding ineligibility is two years. Last 
week, a network of groups pushing for drug law reform launched a 
scholarship program for students turned down because of their criminal drug 
records. The John W. Perry Fund scholarships are named for a New York cop 
who died in the World Trade Center attacks last fall. Perry was a staunch 
critic of the war on drugs.

Higher education is a window of opportunity, one the existing drug law 
unfairly shuts. The current provisions need to be changed or thrown out 
altogether. Until that happens, hats off to the people who didn't want to wait.
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MAP posted-by: Alex