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HSFPP Update # 204—Drug Convictions and Financial Aid Eligibility

Message from Bob: I hope all of you have had a relaxing summer and are ready for a new year with the Kentucky High School Financial Planning Program.

If you haven’t done so already, I would appreciate your letting me know of any feedback you received from parents about the HSFPP Special Update sent August 19, 2008. You may reach me by e-mail at rflashma@email.uky.edu. (If you obtain your updates from our Web archive, then you might be wondering about the recent Special Update. Like our biweekly video lessons, it was only available to subscribers to our listserv. Don’t miss any more special updates or video lessons! Go to the sign-up page of our Web site to receive all our free updates and other lessons.)

 

Message from Katrina: I am a doctoral student in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Kentucky. I have a strong interest in helping youth stay out of trouble. I believe it is important for all students to know the effects that drug convictions can have on eligibility for financial aid. Many students do not think about the consequences of being involved with drug use or selling drugs and how such activities can harm their educational future.

 

Supplementary Activity for History, English, and Health Teachers:

We hope the follow-up activity will be useful for educating students in history classes about drug laws and the impact that drug convictions can have on their future eligibility for financial aid. This also will give students in English classes a chance to write about a topic that they should find interesting. And students in health classes can learn about the effects that various illegal drugs can have on their bodies and minds. (Those of you who remember basketball player Len Bias might have found his example especially hard to forget: it only took trying cocaine once for him to die from it. And he was a healthy, young athlete with a great professional career before him!)

 

Academic Expectations:

Academic Expectation 1.2
Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.
Unit 1-7

Academic Expectation 2.18
Students understand economic principles and are able to make economic decisions that have consequences in daily living.
Units 2-6

Academic Expectation 2.33
Students demonstrate the skills to evaluate and use services and resources available in their community.
Unit 5

 

Web Site Pick of the Week:

“Raise Your Voice” Web site
http://www.raiseyourvoice.com/index.shtml

Publication:
“Falling Though the Cracks: Loss of State-based Financial Aid Eligibility for Students Affected by the Federal Higher Education Act Drug Provision”
http://www.raiseyourvoice.com/statereport/fallingthrough.pdf

 

In the New$.... How Does a Drug Conviction Affect Your Eligibility for Financial Aid?

by Katrina Akande, Doctoral Student in Family Studies, University of Kentucky

Many students may be unaware that a drug conviction can make you ineligible to receive financial aid for college. The National Center for Policy Analysis reported that “One in every 400 students applying for federal financial aid for college is rejected because of a drug conviction….” In 1998, The Higher Education Act (HEA) was amended to require students to disclose drug convictions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). On the FAFSA, students must indicate whether or not they have been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs.

When students have to answer “Yes” in section 2 of the FAFSA, they may become discouraged like my friend Jimmy Johnson* did.  Jimmy completed his sentence for possession of marijuana when he was 20. Since Jimmy’s conviction, he has worked at a local factory for three years, he has not been in any legal trouble and he has not used marijuana. On December 21st, Jimmy received a letter stating that the factory was closing within the next two years. Jimmy decided to go to college so that he can have a stable job and earn better pay in another field.

Jimmy applied for admission to a local college. On February 12th, he received a letter stating that he had been accepted to the college and he must complete the FAFSA to determine his financial aid eligibility. While completing the FAFSA, Jimmy became upset when he realized that he might not qualify for financial assistance due to his drug conviction. Jimmy thought his dream of going to college was over and he did not want to complete the form.

What happens if you must answer “Yes” in Section 2 of the FAFSA?

If students answer “Yes,” they must complete a worksheet to determine their eligibility for financial aid. According to Students for Sensible Drug Policies, students who answer “Yes” fit into one of three categories. Students who fall into Category 1 will be eligible for financial aid. Examples of convictions in this category include those that have been expunged from the student’s criminal record or convictions that occurred when the student was a minor. Students in Category 2 are ineligible for only part of the school year and eligibility will be reinstated if the student completes an acceptable drug rehabilitation program. Students in Category 3 are ineligible one school year unless they complete an acceptable drug rehabilitation program. Ineligibility is based on the number of drug related convictions and whether the conviction occurred during a period in which the student was receiving financial aid such as grants, loans, or work study.

Please remember that, even if you do not qualify for federal financial aid, your state or college may offer alternative funding. In addition, there are funding sources that offer scholarships specifically for students who are denied federal financial aid due to drug convictions such as the John W. Perry Fund. The Perry Fund, which is dedicated to the memory of a New York City police officer who died saving others on 9/11, typically offers around $1,000 (or a maximum of $2,000) to students affected by HEA. In additions, students can use this scholarship money to pay for a drug treatment program if they have a substance abuse problem. Students can also apply for scholarships from private funders such as foundations. These funders do not ask about drug convictions.

*The name and story have been changed slightly to protect the person’s privacy.

Sources: (1) “Drug Convictions Costing Students Their Financial Aid” [Daily Policy Digest, Education Issues], National Center for Policy Analysis, 4/17/06.
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=3196

(2) “Barriers to Re-Entry for Convicted Drug Offenders,” Drug Policy Alliance, April 2003. http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/factsheets/barriers/index.cfm

(3) “Harmful Drug Law Hits Home: How Many College Students in Each State Lost Financial Aid Due to Drug Convictions?” Students for Sensible Drug Policy, 4/17/06.

(4) “The John W. Perry Fund: Scholarships for Students Denied Federal Financial Aid Because of Drug Convictions” [Brochure], No date.

 

Group Discussion:

1.) What do you think of individuals who have been convicted of a drug offense? Should they lose financial assistance to go to school and better themselves? Is it fair or not for a student to be ineligible for financial aid due to his or her drug conviction?

 

2.) What about an individual who has other convictions such as shoplifting, child abuse, or harassment? Who deserves financial aid and who does not? And who should decide what is fair in matters such as these?

 

3.) Can you think of other options for restoring financial aid eligibility besides completing a drug rehabilitation program? What if the individual was not addicted, tried the drug only once, or was only an accessory and did not take illegal drugs him/herself?

 

Follow-Up Activity:

Research further information about how drug laws affect students’ ability to receive financial aid. Use the Web site, “Personal Stories of Individuals Affected by the HEA Drug Provision” (http://www.raiseyourvoice.com/victims.shtml) and write a one-page paper describing what you have learned about how a drug conviction can affect your ability to pursue your educational dream. Describe how you will change your behavior, if at all, based on this knowledge.

 

Additional Resources:

Drug Policy Alliance
www.drugpolicy.org

Drug Policy Provision
www.raiseyourvoice.com

Free Application for Federal Student AID (FAFSA)
www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov
(800) 433-3243

The John W. Perry Fund
DRCNet Foundation
1623 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 362-0030
Email:  perryfund@raiseyourvoice.com

Students for Sensible Drug Policy
www.ssdp.org

 

Kentucky High School Financial Planning Program

http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/hsfp

The purpose of the HSFPP financial updates, video lessons, and Web site is to assist county Extension agents, credit union educators, high school teachers, and parents who home school their teenagers so that they may improve the economic well-being of our teenagers; and also to show educators how the HSFPP, updates, and video lessons meet Kentucky core concepts. The Web site, updates, and video lessons are provided by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, and are free to all educators. The list of core concepts and order form for free program materials including the student guide and instructors manual can be found on the Kentucky HSFPP home page.

If you are not already on our listserv:

The video lessons are available only to members of our listserv and will not be posted to the HSFPP Web site because of the timeliness of the information. If you would like to receive our video lessons, which are sent to our listserv biweekly, on alternate weeks from these updates, please sign up at the following page of our Web site: http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/HSFP/response.htm.