The Higher Education Act Drug Provision Turning the

The Higher Education Act Drug Provision Turning the War on Drugs into a War on Education

SSDP leads the student movement to repeal the HEA Drug Provision SSDP is part of the Coalition for Higher Education Act Reform, or CHEAR SSDP’s efforts have been covered extensively in the Media More than 110 Student Governments passed resolutions calling for repeal

The Drug Provision’s Daddy n This provision was added to the Higher Education Act in 1998 by Congressman Mark Souder (R-IN)

Impact l Since its inception in 1998, the HEA Drug Provision has already denied aid to over 157, 000 students l This doesn’t count those who were deterred from applying because they knew they would be denied aid

What’s wrong with the Drug Provision? l l It’s racist Punishes students twice for the same crime Only affects the poor and middle class Only increases the harms associated with substance abuse details…

Racism o o African Americans comprise 13 percent of the US population and 13 percent of all drug users, BUT they account for over 55 percent of drug convictions. Thanks to racial profiling, the HEA Drug Provision keeps people of color out of school at a higher rate than the general population.

Punishes twice o o Students who are denied aid because of the Drug Provision have already been punished through the criminal justice system There is absolutely no reason to take away young people’s access to education in addition to the penalties they’ve already received

Class warfare o Students of well-to-do families don’t need to worry about losing access to school because of drugs o o They can likely afford to pay for tuition without public aid They can also usually afford to hire lawyers to avoid convictions altogether.

Misguided policy o o When a young person gets into trouble with drugs, the last thing we should do is prevent them from working towards achieving a higher education The Drug Provision simply pushes students back toward the streets, where they are more likely to continue their involvement with drugs

A solution – H. R. 685 • H. R. 685, a bill in the US House of Representatives, would repeal the HEA Drug Provision • Introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), the bill currently has 70 cosponsors in the House

Organizational support n n The Coalition for Higher Education Act Reform (CHEAR) was formed in opposition to the Drug Provision. Member organizations include: ACLU, NAACP, American Association of People with Disabilities, Association for Addiction Professionals, National Association for Public Health Policy, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, United States Student Association

The Media is On Our Side n n There have been thousands of local and national newspaper stories about SSDP and the HEA Drug Provision CNN, MSNBC, MTV and many local news stations interview SSDP activists about the HEA Drug Provision

SSDP Campaign Strategy Garner Campus, Media and Legislative Support Persuade Student and Faculty Government, University Chancellor to Endorse Repeal n Submit op-ed or Letters to the Editor Demanding Repeal n Lobby your Senators and Congressman for Repeal n Work with your university administration to replace financial aid to HEA Victims n

Vehicles for Repeal n ONDCP re-authorization n The Higher Education Act should be re-authorized this year Second Chance Act n

John W. Perry Scholarship Fund n SSDP, along with the Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet) has established a scholarship fund to help victims of the Drug Provision attend school. n If you know anyone who has been denied aid because of a drug conviction, LET SSDP NATIONAL KNOW!

It is up to us, the students, to be the leading voices calling for repeal of the HEA Drug Provision – a misguided policy that directly targets us