Breaking news in the campaign to repeal the HEA Drug Provision

Coalition for Higher Education Act Reform
1623 Connecticut Avenue, NW … 3rd Floor … Washington, DC 20009
Voice: (202) 362-0030 … Fax: (202) 362-0032
heareform [at] raiseyourvoice.com … http://www.RaiseYourVoice.com

January 24, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Brian Dolber

(202) 293-8340

Congressionally-Appointed Committee Calls for
Repeal of Anti-Education Policy

WASHINGTON, DC ‚ A Congressionally-appointed committee today called for the
removal of a question about drug convictions from the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), following the lead of over 180 organizations
who oppose the drug provision of the Higher Education Act (HEA).

In a report titled „The Student Aid Gauntlet: Making Access to College
Simple and Certain,¾ the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance,
an independent body created by Congress to advise it on higher education and
student aid policy, called for the removal of the question that asks
students if they have ever been convicted of a drug offense. Since this
question was added to the FAFSA in 2000, it has led to over 157,000 students
being denied financial aid. The report calls the question „irrelevant,¾
asserting that it „äadd[s] complexity to the form and can deter some
students from applying for financial aid.¾

„We are pleased with the recommendation coming from the Advisory Committee
on Student Financial Assistance¼s report,¾ said Chris Mulligan, Outreach
Director of the Coalition for Higher Education Act Reform. „Mistakes young
people made in the past should have no bearing on their ability to succeed
in the future. Hopefully, Congress will heed the advice of its own
appointees and work to repeal the drug provision during this session.¾

Many members of Congress have already been active in trying to repeal the
HEA drug provision. Last year, a House of Representatives bill to repeal
the provision gained 70 cosponsors. A similar bill is expected to be
introduced early in the 109th Congress.

The Coalition for Higher Education Act Reform¼s work is supported by 180
organizations from a variety of perspectives, who have called on Congress to
repeal the drug provision of the Higher Education Act, including groups such
as the National Education Association, the United States Student
Association, the National Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators, the NAACP, and the American Council on Education.

Interviews are available. For further information, contact Brian Dolber at
(202) 293-8340 or bdolber [at] raiseyourvoice.com, or visit
http://www.raiseyourvoice.com.