The University of California Berkeley created a new school-funded scholarship on Jan. 24 for students with drug convictions, according the Los Angeles Times. AU students had mixed reactions to the scholarships.
The scholarships were created because students with drug convictions have been unable to receive federal financial aid since a drug-conviction penalty amendment was added to the 1998 Higher Education Act, according to Web site of the Drug Policy Alliance, a D.C.-based nonprofit that works to promote alternatives to the war on drugs.
UC Berkeley plans to give out a scholarship of approximately $400 each year because federal financial aid is not available to nearly 200,000 of these students nationwide.
Although it may seem insignificant considering the total cost of university tuition, the additional financial assistance might, for instance, enable a student to pay for books, according to a press release from Students for Sensible Drug Policy, an international grassroots organization concerned with the impact of drug use, particularly on college campuses. AU has its own chapter of SSDP, established last fall, The Eagle previously reported.
Yale University, Swarthmore College, Western Washington University and Hampshire College have all established similar school-funded scholarships, according to the press release.
Josh Enos, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, said he was supportive of the scholarship's establishment and the possible creation of a similar scholarship at AU.
"I definitely agree with the premise," Enos said.
Sarah Boison, a freshman in the School of Communication, was more skeptical.
"Personally, I do not see the need for a scholarship," Boison said.
There are many reasons students may have limited access to financial aid, but students with drug convictions are in such situations to begin with because of choices they made and need to take responsibility for, she said.
SSDP Campaigns Director Tom Angell said he thinks Berkeley students would support giving up school funds for students with drug convictions because they are simply "doing what they can to keep their peers in school."
According to Angell, the UC Berkeley students' actions are part of a two-component process. The scholarships are a temporary means to assist students financially, but one of the SSDP's long-term goals is to remove the current drug conviction policy from the Higher Education Act through Congress.
As of now, the drug conviction policy automatically revokes the chances of receiving financial aid for students with minor drug convictions, including misdemeanor marijuana possession, according to SSDP's Web site.
SSDP plans to lobby Congress through a template-letter to legislatures it has posted on its Web site. With support from over 70 organizations, including the NAACP and the National Education Association, SSDP hopes to convince Congress to repeal the law entirely, because it prevents certain students from taking advantage of their right to education, Angell said.
SSDP Executive Director and AU alumnus Kris Krane said he "strongly commends the students at UC Berkeley for passing a law like this. It sends a strong message to Congress that an institution like UC Berkeley would be willing to support such an act."
Tazewell Jones, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs and the current president of the AU chapter of SSDP, said refusing access to education is not a good way for the government to deal with the issue of drug abuse.
According to Jones, a single mistake should not revoke a student's right to education. He also said it is ironic that students convicted of other more serious crimes, such as rape or even murder, are still eligible to receive full financial aid, while a drug conviction results in such severe consequences.
After spring break, Jones said the AU Chapter of the SSDP plans to continue organized student lobbying on Capitol Hill and is hoping to bring more drug policy speakers to AU.
