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More than 86,000 students nationwide were denied federal financial aid this year because of the Higher Education Act of 1998. The act bans students with drug convictions from receiving federal aid for college. Although the act was passed four years ago, it was not enforced until the 2000-01 academic year.
The law, which determines ineligibility by three or more possession convictions and drug-sale convictions, was misinterpreted and denied aid to students with any prior drug convictions, instead of convictions occurring within the previous year, as it was intended. Extending the law to any priorly convicted people prevents those who seek rehabilitation and now desire a chance to start over from getting financial help. Thus, the federal government unfairly eliminates the possibility of a second chance. Some representatives in Congress are working to amend the act to do away with this misinterpretation and some are even trying to repeal it entirely, which is a smart move.
Another problem with the law is that it only addresses those with non-violent drug convictions, completely disregarding more severe charges such as operating under the influence and other violent crimes. These are the types of crimes the law should be attacking. Our government representatives should focus more on the safety of college campuses, rather than spending so much time and effort inhibiting the chances of non-violent offenders at a post-secondary education.
African Americans are specifically at a disadvantage, because although they only represent 13 percent of all drug users, they make up half of all people convicted of drug crimes. Also, if a student comes from a low-income family, denial of aid might mean the denial of higher education altogether.
Though the law may mean well by attempting to discoure drug use, it actually denies financial aid to the college students who need it most.
Bangor Daily News