An unknown person broke a window at the Wayne loading dock entrance. The U.S. Department of Education announced this month that almost 7,000 of the nine million students who applied for federal financial aid this fall have been barred because of recent convictions on drug-related offenses. In 1998, the U.S. Congress imposed a restriction blocking students who have recently been convicted of possessing or selling illicit drugs from obtaining federal financial aid. The measure did not go into effect until this fall, when a new question asking applicants about past drug convictions was added to federal financial aid applications. Students may be suspended from one year of aid eligibility for their first drug possession conviction, two years for a second conviction and indefinitely for a third.
Students can become eligible for aid by completing a drug rehabilitation program.
Kris Purcell, chairman of College Republicans of Texas, said students should not receive financial aid if they are drug users. Davis added that there are many students who did not apply for financial aid because they were aware of the new policy. Jim Vick, vice president for student affairs, said it is hard to tell whether the provision will have any effect on reducing the number of drug violations. I feel like the role of financial aid offices is to help students and make education possible for students who can't afford it.