HEA reform

This is old news now (happened while I was out of town), but just in case you missed it, here’s from the press release by SSDP:

WASHINGTON, DC – A U.S. House committee voted today to scale back the
provision of the Higher Education Act that denies federal financial aid
to students with drug convictions. The change will allow students with
past convictions to receive aid, but students convicted while in college
will still be stripped of their aid eligibility. While the partial
reform to the HEA Drug Provision could help some of the more than
160,500 students affected by the law, many will still be left behind
without aid. The Drug Provision was originally enacted in 1998.

An amendment to scrap the provision entirely, sponsored by Reps. Danny
Davis (D-IL), Rob Andrews (D-NJ), and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), failed by
a committee vote of 29-18.

“After seven years of political rhetoric and empty promises, Congress is
finally acting to help some students affected by this terrible policy,”
said Scarlett Swerdlow, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug
Policy (SSDP). “But this partial reform is like slapping a band-aid on
a gaping wound. Tens of thousands of students will continue to be
yanked out of school every year. Students around the country are
outraged and will continue to work against this misguided policy as long
as it remains on the books.”

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Event though this is a disappointment, congrats are due to Students for Sensible Drug
Policy (SSDP) who have worked so hard to bring this to national awareness.