From staff reports

On its surface, a new law that restricts access to student aid if young people use or sell drugs seems to have merit.

Tuesday, October 26, 1999

On its surface, a new law that restricts access to student aid if young people use or sell drugs seems to have merit.

A closer look reveals serious flaws.

The law, part of an effort to &uot;reduce waste&uot; in the student loan system, takes effect next summer.

A first possession conviction will block aid for a year, while a sales conviction will bar aid for two years. Students convicted of possessing drugs for a second time will lose aid for two years; a third time, permanently. A student convicted twice of selling drugs will lose aid permanently.

While it makes sense to avoid providing assistance to drug dealers, or serious, repeat users, cutting off everyone who gets caught trying a drug is counterproductive. While experimenting with illegal drugs must be discouraged, young people always have, and will continue to make such mistakes.

If everyone who has ever tried marijuana was denied a student loan or grant, the repercussions would be felt throughout society. Certainly there would be fewer doctors, lawyers, nurses, engineers, accountants, programmers and graduates in other fields who, despite a mistake or two, became productive, contributing and highly needed employees thanks to college training.

It should be left up to colleges whether such students are acceptable candidates for higher education. A college should not accept a convicted cocaine dealer, for example. But, student loans should be provided according to need, not denied in a broad attack on one illegal behavior.

Indeed, if aid is screened by behavior, there are plenty of other potential targets, whether they be illegal consumption, drunk driving or failure to pay child support, to name a small sampling.

Unfortunately, the law’s on the books and students will have to live with it.

Until the law can be changed, the best advice for young people is to be aware of the new consequences a little experimentation may bring: Get caught, and that college grant or loan won’t be there.