The regulations are based on a law enacted last year designed to reduce waste in the student loan system. They do not apply to juvenile records, and some students will be able to retain eligibility by completing drug rehabilitation or by having their convictions overturned. College entrants must report any drug convictions on forms for federal financial aid, including Pell grants and student loans.
Some student groups complain that the new rules are counterproductive.
Students caught lying about drug use could be prosecuted for lying to the federal government. Justice Department officials say there's no database designating student drug offenses, but a statement released by Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., cites a University of Michigan study that said 33.5 percent of college students had used illegal drugs in 1995. A recent nationwide survey indicated that drug use among young adults ages 18 to 25 has risen in the last five years, with 16.1 percent, or 4.5 million, saying they were current users of an illegal drug, meaning they had used the drug in the month before they were surveyed. Rep. Barney Frank, D- Mass., who unsuccessfully sought to limit the student loan legislation, said such provisions could unfairly affect young people who were not serious drug users. This kind of blanket ban is a mistake.