Pubdate: Fri, 2 Nov 2007 Source: Brown and White, The (Lehigh U, PA Edu) Copyright: 2007 The Brown and White Contact: http://www.thebrownandwhite.com/home/lettertotheeditor/ Website: http://www.thebrownandwhite.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2715 Author: Dana Anderson Cited: Students for Sensible Drug Policy http://www.schoolsnotprisons.com Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/FAFSA Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?219 (Students for Sensible Drug Policy) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Marijuana) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) DRUG CHARGES CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF FINANCIAL AID College students may face more than jail time and fines if arrested for a crime involving marijuana. Convicted students may be stripped of their financial aid eligibility as well. The Aid Elimination Provision restricts a student's financial aid for a period of time based on the student's record of offense. Since the law's enactment in 2000, nearly 200,000 students have been denied financial aid, according to a press release from the Students for Sensible Drug Policy organization. The AEP suspends financial aid of first-time drug offenders for one year. Second-time offenders are ineligible for two years, and multiple-repeat offenders are barred indefinitely. This includes the loss of grants, loans and work study opportunities. Students may regain eligibility before the end of their suspension if they participate in a drug rehabilitation program and pass two random drug tests. Chief of Police Edward Shupp said Lehigh generally arrests about 10 to 15 people with marijuana-related offenses per year, but the number varies each year. "The law is in place, and if you get charged, you can lose your financial aid," Shupp said. "That's something students should know before they start partaking in illegal activities." The law is stated in the student handbook to inform students of the penalties of smoking, he said. Director of Financial Aid Linda Bell said Lehigh has yet to have a case in which a student has lost financial aid eligibility due to a marijuana-related conviction. The law also does not seem to affect students' behavior, she said. "The law has been in effect, but I don't think we've seen any change in anyone's habits, quite frankly," Bell said. The financial aid department relies on a student's answers to questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid in order to make a decision about eligibility. A question on the form is: "Have you been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid?" Students who answer yes are instructed to complete an online interactive worksheet to determine if their conviction will affect their financial aid status. Bell said she reviewed FAFSA records from the past four years and found that no student reported a conviction. The financial aid department does not receive reports of arrests or convictions. "I just have to take the student's response," Bell said. "We base it all on what the student's response [on the FAFSA] is." Organizations such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy believe the AEP is unfair. The AEP is ineffective and causes more problems than it solves, SSDP Government Relations Director Tom Angell said. "We think that denying access to education causes more, not less, drug abuse in our society," Angell said. The law should be repealed completely, Angell said, in order to allow students to continue with their education. "We definitely think that one of the most effective ways we can reduce substance abuse in the U.S. is to provide people with more education and more opportunities for success," Angell said. Some students think the law is unfair because it targets marijuana use and does not include other illegal activities. "You have to look at all the other illegal things college students do, like drinking," Steph Deluca, '11, said. "If [lawmakers] are going to specify just marijuana use, why not alcohol use?" Deluca does not think awareness of the AEP would influence a student's decision more than the fear of being arrested. "I wouldn't be thinking about them taking away my financial aid," Deluca said. "I would be thinking about jail time and my record." Ana Alexandrescu, '10, considers the law effective only for certain people. "If I'm already a marijuana smoker and I hear about the law, I'm not sure I would quit," Alexandrescu said. "I might become more cautious, but not quit. But if I'm a diligent, hard-working student who has aid, it might prevent me from smoking marijuana." Some students, however, believe the law seems to be a fair and effective tool in deterring marijuana smoking. "If I were a student with financial aid, I wouldn't start using marijuana and risk losing my aid," Baysa Gantsog, '11, said.