[Imc-radio] HEA Drug Provision Headline

[Sandra Ahten]

By: Sandra Ahten

Did you know that Bill Clinton, (who smoked but didn’t inhale and was a 
Rhodes scholar), signed a bill which denies federal financial assistance to 
any student with a drug conviction, even for simple marijuana possession. 
Since taking effect in 1998, over 160,500 students have had their aid denied 
or delayed as a result of this law, and countless others have simply failed 
to apply for aid because of their convictions. At the same time, it is 
illegal to deny financial aid based on any other criminal conviction, 
including murder, rape, or aggravated assault.

This outrageous legislation is called the Higher Education Act Drug 
Provision.

In Washington -- House Bill 1184, a bill to repeal the Higher Education Act 
Drug Provision, has been introduced in the House of Representatives. Now is 
the time to contact your member of Congress and urge him or her to support 
this important bill.

This provision unfairly discriminates against low-income and middle class 
students who are unable to afford a college education without some form of 
financial assistance. Even worse, it punishes people a second time after 
they have finished serving their time for a drug conviction. To deny an 
education to someone who has already been punished for an indiscretion is 
illogical and unfair.

Contact your House Representative this week. If you live in the 15th 
Congressional District call the office of Timothy Johnson at 217-4073-4690.  
If you would like to have a prewritten email or script you can follow the 
link from this story on the www.ucimc.org website to the NORMAL website.





See my art at www.spiritofsandra.com