Revoking aid the wrong idea

For many, college is a time to find oneself. Try new things, meet new people and learn about things that high school would never even get into. And for many, part of trying new things means experimenting with drugs. Most think all that can come from this is loss of control and perhaps a decline of health. What they don't realize, though, is this experimentation can lead to the loss of financial aid as well. \nIn 1998, the Clinton administration enacted a financial aid law stating people convicted of drug crimes could lose their financial aid. This was passed through as an amendment to the Higher Education Act and is starting to become a bigger and bigger deal to college students around the country. While this law would doubtlessly impact many future college students, it has an even bigger immediate impact because the Clinton administration made it retroactive as well, meaning if one has ever been convicted of a drug crime, it would impact their financial aid any time they would want it. This is not the best idea the national government could hold in the interest of the students. \nThe government might look at this situation in one of two ways. It could say some teenagers and young adults lack guidance and leadership in their lives and could stray toward the use and sale of drugs, but college could be a way to straighten those individuals out for a good and prosperous life once they get a degree. Or it could blindly assume a drug user cannot be a multi-faceted person and evolve beyond drug use. In assuming the later, the government has made a grievous error.\nThe IDS does not condone drug use and does not recommend anyone use drugs just because they are in college. What we are saying is the government made the wrong decision in this case. People who get busted for drug possession made a mistake. Most people have screwed up at one time or another in their lives. They should not be prevented from achieving a college education because of this.\nSome of our most recent presidents have refused to answer questions concerning personal drug use. They might or might not have and yet wound up as quite successful members of American society -- in fact, as leaders of the free world. But they now assume today's college students using drugs will have no luck in straightening themselves out, and there is no reason to waste government money on their higher education. They should rethink their stance, because who knows what the future President of the United States is doing right now. One would hope they would be allowed to attend college, even if they made a mistake.\n