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Did You Know?
By Rashida H. Govan
rashidagovan@gmail.com
The Higher Education Act of 1965 was enacted to provide financial assistance to
individuals enrolled at institutions of higher education and to improve the
educational resources of these institutions. At the heart of the Higher
Education Act was the awareness that the acquisition of a college education
could bring about social mobility of America's poor and working class. This Act
also served to support these institutions in using their resources to study and
help address America's most pressing domestic issues such as poverty, housing,
employment and health issues. The Higher Education Act is reauthorized or
reevaluated every six years to ensure its validity and relevance to present
times. However, the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 1998 brought
about a major change that has negatively affected thousands of students seeking
social mobility through the attainment of a college degree.
In 1998 the Higher Education Act was amended to include the Drug Provision whish
serves to exclude individuals convicted of any drug offense from consideration
for federal financial aid. This means that if one has already served time for a
drug conviction and then seeks to change their lives by attending college, they
are blocked from necessary assistance required for them to access higher
education. What's worse is that many states (as many as 24) have followed in
suit with the federal government and explicitly disallow those who are denied
federal aid access to state aid. Thus, individuals convicted of drug offenses
are punished a third time for their misdeeds and further denied access to
education. To date, more than 175,000 people have been excluded from federal aid
since the enactment of the Drug Provision.
Why should you care? Well, as has been said in previous social movements
including the militant struggle of our oppressed brethren in South Africa, An
injury to one is an injury to all. This Drug Provision unfairly targets minority
and poor populations relying on financial aid to finance their education whom
are already underrepresented in America's institutions of higher education. A
disproportionate amount of those affected by this amendment are Hispanic and
African American as they represent approximately 43% and 29% respectively of
deferral drug convictions (African Americans represent 53% of drug convictions
in state courts) according to a report published by the Coalition for Higher
Education Act Reform. This means that two of higher educations most
underrepresented populations have yet another hurdle to higher education that
must be overcome. This drug provision along with attacks on affirmative action
and the increasing issue of college affordability may change the complexion of
higher education so severely that it may revert back to its original and
traditional population of affluent, white students. This provision unravels the
original purpose of the Higher Education Act and further contributes to
America's problems of poverty and crime by blocking those in the greatest need
of educational access.
What can you do about it? First, educate yourself about the issue. Two websites
that provide useful information on this issue are www.raiseyourvoice.com, a
website that outlines the issue and is sponsored by the Coalition for Higher
Education Act Reform, and www.ssdp.org, a website sponsored by the Students for
Sensible Drug Policy. Next, you can share this information with a friend. The
more people who know about this issue, the better. Finally, write a letter to
your federal and state legislators encouraging them to support Higher Education
Act Reform or find and get involved with a local organization advocating for the
reform of the Higher Education Act. No matter what you do, get involved and be
heard!