2008 Woodie Awards
Marijuana, drug charge may limit financial aid
Students with drug charges denied money for school
Megan Munroe
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: News
Originally published: 11/29/07 at 6:46 PM EST
Last update: 11/29/07 at 6:45 PM EST
- Page 1 of 2 next >
To chug beer or to hit bongs? - that is the question college students have been facing since the mid-90s, when Congress barred students who had been convicted of drug-related charges from receiving federal financial aid.
The consequences to be weighed are as follows: the negative health effects of alcohol are arguably more severe than those of some drugs, but students will likely suffer more serious legal and academic consequences as a result of illegal drug use. For students who have made recreation a (practically mandatory) priority in their lives, the decision to measure their "4-or-fewer" in bottles or in bowls is a tricky one.
A June 2006 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education detailed one student's story - Matt Bakalar, an 18 year old University of Maryland student, was kicked off campus for possessing an eighth of an ounce of marijuana.
"Had (he) been busted for sipping a beer instead of buying pot, he could have stayed in his dorm," the article said. "The university would only have required him to attend its alcohol-education program."
Aside from campus-specific policies, all college students risk losing financial aid if they are convicted of possession or distribution - even if the crime is a misdemeanor. "It's a federal law that essentially says that if a college student is found guilty of a drug crime in a court of law, not here on campus, they would be ineligible to receive federal financial aid - and that's where it left off," Dean of Students Stephen Matthews said.
This is a process that, for the most part, does not involve the colleges themselves, he said.
Director of Student Financial Services Todd Moravec explained the process a student goes through after being convicted, with regards to financial aid.
"On the FAFSA, question 31 asks 'Have you been convicted for possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving student aid,'" he said. "You're asked to self-report this question on the FAFSA, if they answer yes, we send them a worksheet they have to fill out and it will determine whether it affects their aid or not."
The consequences to be weighed are as follows: the negative health effects of alcohol are arguably more severe than those of some drugs, but students will likely suffer more serious legal and academic consequences as a result of illegal drug use. For students who have made recreation a (practically mandatory) priority in their lives, the decision to measure their "4-or-fewer" in bottles or in bowls is a tricky one.
A June 2006 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education detailed one student's story - Matt Bakalar, an 18 year old University of Maryland student, was kicked off campus for possessing an eighth of an ounce of marijuana.
"Had (he) been busted for sipping a beer instead of buying pot, he could have stayed in his dorm," the article said. "The university would only have required him to attend its alcohol-education program."
Aside from campus-specific policies, all college students risk losing financial aid if they are convicted of possession or distribution - even if the crime is a misdemeanor. "It's a federal law that essentially says that if a college student is found guilty of a drug crime in a court of law, not here on campus, they would be ineligible to receive federal financial aid - and that's where it left off," Dean of Students Stephen Matthews said.
This is a process that, for the most part, does not involve the colleges themselves, he said.
Director of Student Financial Services Todd Moravec explained the process a student goes through after being convicted, with regards to financial aid.
"On the FAFSA, question 31 asks 'Have you been convicted for possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving student aid,'" he said. "You're asked to self-report this question on the FAFSA, if they answer yes, we send them a worksheet they have to fill out and it will determine whether it affects their aid or not."
Be the first to comment on this story