To CHEAR Allies and Supporters:

As Congress gets ready to deal with the Higher Education Act (HEA) drug provision, CHEAR is working to influence this process through a national sign-on letter open to all organizations interested in repealing the HEA drug provision. CHEAR is asking that Congress restore financial aid to as many students as possible this Congress by eliminating the drug provision's "reach back" effect for all offenses and remove the drug question, or question 31, from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This letter will be sent to all the members of the budget reconciliation conference committee as soon as they are named. The letter is located below and a printable version can be found HERE.

If your organization would like to sign on to this letter please contact Kyle Wibby at 202-232-7111 or kwibby@RaiseYourVoice.com.

 

DATE
The Honorable ___
U.S. ___
Washington, DC ___

Dear ___:

We, the undersigned, join our voices as organizations representing millions of Americans concerned with education, addiction treatment and recovery, faith, civil rights, and law, to call on Congress to restore student aid eligibility to as many people as possible this Congress. We refer to the Higher Education Act (HEA) drug provision , a law that has denied financial aid to more than 175,000 would-be students since taking effect in 2000. Differing reforms to this law appear in the two budget reconciliation bills now in conference committee: the House bill, H.R. 4241, would restore financial aid to students whose drug offenses occurred before they were in school or receiving federal aid; the Senate version, S. 1932, would bar the Department of Education from inquiring about an applicant’s drug possession on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and would eliminate the “reach-back” for possession convictions.

As both chambers of Congress convene to reconcile these and other changes, we urge the conference committee to adopt the letter and spirit of both bills by (1) restoring financial aid to all students with past drug convictions; and (2) removing the drug conviction question (#31) from the FAFSA, as recommended by Congress’ own Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance earlier this year.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, college graduates earn almost twice as much as those without a college education . Sending young people to college assures that such individuals will not rely on public assistance but will instead contribute to the national tax base. Numerous studies have also found that persons who obtain a higher education are far less likely to break the law and become costly drains on the criminal justice system . Denying financial aid to otherwise qualified applicants costs taxpayers more through lost tax revenue and increased spending on the criminal justice system.

Addiction recovery, criminal justice and other experts know that education is one of the best means for reducing crime and drug abuse. Since the drug provision was enacted seven years ago, more than 250 organizations from around the country have called for full repeal of the HEA drug provision, including nearly every major national higher education group.

We believe that full repeal of the drug provision is the best and most appropriate step. But short of repeal, we urge you to restore financial aid to as many students as possible this Congress. This is America’s chance to reopen the doors of opportunity for tens of thousands of bright and eager students who have found them closed the last seven years.

Sincerely yours,