Pubdate: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 Source: Des Moines Register (IA) Copyright: 2006 The Des Moines Register. Contact: http://desmoinesregister.com/index.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/123 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) END COLLEGE-AID REJECTIONS FOR DRUG CONVICTIONS You can murder, rape, steal or forge a check and still get federal financial aid for college. But if you get convicted for having a marijuana joint in your pocket, the federal government may deny you bucks for higher education. In all its wisdom, Congress made a drug conviction the one offense that disqualifies someone from receiving aid. Congress should remove the restriction. According to new data from the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 200,000 people, including 2,367 Iowans, have been turned down for federal financial aid since application forms included a question about drug convictions. Iowa is above the national average for the percentage of people losing college aid. When the law was originally created in 1998, it affected people with prior drug convictions. In February 2006, Congress should have taken the opportunity to eliminate the penalty altogether. It didn't, but did narrow its scope. It's now applicable only to those convicted while enrolled in college and receiving aid. Still, it makes no sense that students' convictions for drug crimes may cause them to lose financial aid. If anything, those convicted of drug offenses should be encouraged to buckle down, stay in school and prepare for a better future. Dropping the financial-aid penalty wouldn't mean treating students' drug crimes lightly. They already face criminal penalties, possible reprimands from their school and discrimination in jobs. The government should be helping them get back on track - not making it harder to do so. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman