insight

By Tom Angell

War on Drugs or War on Education?

As college students around the country prepare for midterms, thousands of their would-be classmates don't have anything to study for because of a federal law that strips financial aid from people with drug convictions.

The policy is being reconsidered as Congress renews the Higher Education Act for the first time in seven years. While the HEA was originally enacted in 1965 to make education more accessible, the Drug Provision-added during the 1998 HEA reauthorization-is an unjustifiable roadblock in the path to college. Over the past seven years, more than 175,000 students have lost financial aid because of the HEA Drug Provision.

Every student affected by this law has already gone through the courts. Taking away their financial aid punishes them twice for the same crime. Drug crimes are the only infractions for which students lose aid-murderers and rapists are still eligible. And because of the discriminatory enforcement of drug laws, the policy disproportionately affects people of color.

Last month, the Government Accountability Office was unable to find evidence that the provision reduces drug abuse. In fact, other federal studies show that high school graduates not attending college are more likely to use drugs than those in college.

Besides worsening America's drug problems and victimizing students trying to turn their lives around with education, this law hurts the economy and makes our streets more dangerous.

According to the Census Bureau, college graduates earn 62 percent more each year and $1 million more over lifetimes than people with only high school diplomas. They pay twice as much federal income tax than high school graduates. The revenue-slashing aid ban is unacceptable in a time of budget shortfalls.

The law does more than hurt revenue; it escalates public spending. Educated people are less likely to rely on costly social programs like welfare and public housing. This provision wrongly prevents people from pulling themselves up by their bootstraps and becoming productive, taxpaying citizens.

College graduates are also less likely to commit crimes and become costly drains on the justice system. High school graduates are twelve times more likely to be incarcerated than college graduates. Jailing one prisoner costs $26,000 per year.

We should encourage people who've been in trouble with drugs to move beyond past mistakes, but the Drug Provision prevents them from doing so. Graduating more college students means greater economic productivity and increased tax revenue, while locking up more inmates means taxpayers must pay for skyrocketing prison costs. Keeping this policy on the books is fiscally irresponsible.

Students who realize this is a bad policy should contact Students for Sensible Drug Policy and get involved in efforts to take Drug War politics out of education. Visit www.DAREgeneration.com for more information.

It could be another seven years before Congress restructures the HEA again. Concerned students and educators should urge legislators to help young people stay in school. If congress doesn't act now, another 175,000 students could have the doors to education slammed in their faces.

Tom Angell is campaigns director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. He may be contacted at tom@ssdp.org