By Christine Byrd
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Get convicted of drug use and lose your federal financial aid
““ that’s the law.
A provision to the Higher Education Act of 1998 instituted
changes in the Federal Application for Financial Student Aid,
including an additional question about whether a student has been
convicted of a drug-related crime. Students convicted of such a
crime are ineligible for financial aid.
Although some see this as a deterrent to drug-use, others say it
discriminates against lower-income and minority students.
Not only are previously-convicted students ineligible, but if a
student is convicted while on financial aid, the aid will be cut
for one year following the conviction.
“My greatest concern is for the students to know about
this law so that they can make informed choices,” said Liz
Kemper, director of Student Legal Services.
“It has potential to disrupt academic careers,” she
added.
Any drug-related conviction, such as carrying less than an ounce
of marijuana, can lead to ineligibility for one year; and
convictions for selling drugs or possessing more than one at a time
can lead to an extended period of ineligibility.
Although the question was on this year’s FAFSA, students
who did not answer it ““ and 20 percent chose not to ““
were still eligible for aid, Kemper said.
But next year, students will be required to answer the question
to get federal aid. Any student currently receiving aid who is
convicted of a drug-related crime after July 1 will have their
financial aid revoked.
For a student who depends on federal aid to afford higher
education, this could be devastating.
The American Civil Liberties Union calls this provision
“unwise and discriminatory.”
“The provision discriminates on the basis of class by
targeting students of lower income who depend on financial
aid,” said a brief on the ACLU Web site.
Students convicted of a drug offense whose family can afford to
pay for college will not be affected by the legislation.
The ACLU also said the provision is racially discriminatory.
“Drug enforcement already focuses heavily on minority
communities,” said the ACLU Web site.
Statistics recently released by the Department of Justice show
that African Americans represent 13 percent of drug offenders, but
are 55 percent of the convictions, the ACLU brief said.
Of the approximately 20,000 UCLA students receiving federal aid,
Kemper agrees lower-income and minority students will be
disproportionally affected.
The provision does allow for students to receive financial aid
again if they complete a drug-treatment program.
Again, some say this favors higher-income students who can
afford a program.
Student Legal Services officials are working with Student
Psychological Services to create a drug-treatment program, and are
trying to educate students about the new laws by working with
Office of Residential Life, the dean of students’ office,
Academic Advancement Program, Community Service Program and the
UCPD.
“It’s a major change and we’re very conscious
of getting information out,” said Gail Ishino, assistant
director of the Financial Aid Office.
Officials said they are starting at the freshman level and will
provide workshops and brochures to inform continuing students of
the changes to the law.
“We’re really trying to cover as many areas as
possible,” Kemper said, and she emphasized the importance of
getting the word out.
“People just weren’t hearing about it,” she
said.
“If they are armed with the necessary information,
hopefully they will choose not to jeopardize their financial
aid,” Kemper continued.
With reports from Caroline Woon, Daily Bruin Contributor.