FAFSA Form & Financial Aid Form Blog

Did

you

know

that…

if you have been convicted of possession or sale of an illegal substance during a period of enrollment…you will not be eligible for Federal student aid, including Federal student loans? In some cases, even if you have been convicted in the past of sale or possession of an illegal substance, you may not be eligible for federal aid in the future. Students at Truman State University, in Missouri, are able to voice their opinions on the subject mostly due a national campaign run by the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). In an article written by Heather Turner, she explains why this topic is up for debate:

“In July the Senate passed the Higher Education Access Act of 2007, which expands funding for federal aid, with the question still on the FAFSA form, according to Library of Congress Records. SSDP members hope to convince enough members of the House of Representatives to keep the question off of the FAFSA form before the bill is passed sometime in October or November. Richardson said he thinks there is a good chance the question will be removed because the House drafted an earlier version of the bill that did not include the amendment containing the question.”We’re hoping there’s a good chance that it will go through the House without the question, and then when it comes to the committee that decides on the final bill, they’ll end up siding with the House version,” Richardson said.Rep. Rebecca McClanahan, D-Kirksville, said she is open to discuss the issue with students, even though she is not involved directly with the legislation.”I’ve been concerned about some of the enforcement of very minor offenses that sometimes appear to be overblown when we could be using our energies on things that are more of a problem,” McClanahan said.She said her experiences working as a nurse with individuals who had substance abuse disorders has given her a broad understanding of the issue.”[The question] doesn’t even speak to the issue that a person that’s even addicted has perhaps gone through treatment and has achieved sobriety after a significant addiction,” McClanahan said. “I assumed that would still apply to them, which seems like an unfair restriction when a person is doing well.”Ryan, a former Truman student who asked for his last name to be withheld, was found to be in possession of marijuana on campus his freshman year at Truman. He said there still are ways to find funding to cover education costs. Ryan said he has been able to keep his scholarships and would have been able to keep the scholarships offered to him through the University by completing a program that included writing a paper and attending meetings, had he not opted to go to another college.

“I honestly think Truman has the right idea with the writing of the paper, and I had to go to a counseling meeting, like a group counseling session,” Ryan said.

Completing a drug rehabilitation program like the one Truman requires after a student commits a drug offense involving illegal substances is part of the criteria for regaining eligibility for federal aid, according to an amendment in title IV of the Higher Education Act that went into effect in 2000.

“The scholarship that I have kept four years now is A+, and drug offenses are not, I guess, considered a reason to lose it,” Ryan said.

Ryan has not had to file for federal aid to cover his college expenses but said that even though he understands where the government is coming from, it seems like it violates personal rights to ask whether or not students have been convicted of a drug offense.

“I think that it should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for repeat offenders perhaps,” Ryan said. “I don’t think on a first time basis you should lose your scholarships or federal money.”

Data the national SSDP chapter received through the Department of Education shows that more than 189,000 applicants have been disqualified nationally since the question was added to the FAFSA form in 2000 because of their responses, including about 2,800 applicants in Missouri.”

What do you guys think?

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For the full article quoted above click here