Convictions
not hindering financial aid
By Sara Esquivel
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
A recent academic database search through California State University Library
revealed drug convictions are causing students to be denied financial aid, raising
concerns of whether this factor has discouraged students from attending college.
The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 authorizes federal and state judges to deny federal
aid to persons convicted of drug charges, including selling and possession of
drugs, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department said 17,500
students have had their aid stripped since 2000.
Director of Financial Aid Dean Kulju at Cal State Long Beach said the student “self-certifies” to
any drug convictions when filling out their Free Application for Student Aid
(FAFSA).
“
What most commonly happens, though, it is a very confusing question: [should]
students leave it blank or will [they] answer that they have a conviction erroneously?” Kulju
asked.
In the event a student reports a drug conviction, FAFSA will send them a worksheet
with additional questions about the conviction.
A student who reports a drug conviction is not automatically disqualified from
receiving financial aid, according to Kulju.
Ineligibility for federal student funds for those students who have drug convictions
are divided into several categories.
For a first-time offense of possession of illegal drugs, the student is not allowed
to receive financial aid for one year from the
date of conviction and two years for drug trafficking. A second offense for possession
ineligibility is two years from the date of conviction and an indefinite period
for drug trafficking. Three or more offenses for both possession and trafficking
will make the student ineligible for an indefinite period of time.
Students at CSULB said drug convictions can either encourage or discourage students
from attending college.
“
Students will take their chances on receiving financial aid. If students really
want to attend it should not matter,” said Benny Esparza, a senior political
science student and financial aid recipient for two years.
“
It would discourage people because if I knew I was not eligible, initially,
I would not file for it,” said Peter Rosa, a senior political science
student. “They put those measures to initially dispel people from applying;
it is an easy way of attracting and distracting people away.”
The periods of ineligibility are determined based on whether the conviction was
for possession, selling or both, successful completion of a qualified drug rehabilitation
program and any previous or further convictions.
“
It depends on the time and when that occurred in relationship with the school
year,” Kulju said. “You may be ineligible but they may have to
wait out a certain period of time to regain eligibility; it is conceivable
that if someone has a conviction that is not eligible but we are not just seeing
that in our school population with drug convictions.”
“
If a student is aware of these laws, they should not be discouraged, just because
you were convicted on drug charges, that should not discourage you from furthering
your education,” said Juliana Borja, a journalism student.
Nevertheless, the ineligibility status of students with drug convictions has
not made much of an impact at CSULB, Kulju said.
“
Out of the 35,000 student population, 17,000 students receive financial aid
and only a handful of students receive a complicated worksheet that is supposed
to help them,” Kulju said.
CSULB continues to receive FAFSA applications.
“
Our campus is in the top 15 schools applying for financial aid, so it is not
having much of a dampening effect,” Kulju said. “It is not something
we are really in favor of, but it is a state law, as ridiculous as it may sound.”
“
[Financial aid] should keep track, after all they are the ones providing the
money to students,” Esparza said. “Students that have been convicted,
I would think, have higher propensity of misusing the money.”
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