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Misplaced Penalties
Congress should reform the 1998 Souder-amendment to the HEA. We encourage you to modify the letter so your legislators hear *your* voice
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Subject: Higher Education Act Evokes Misplaced Penalties
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am concerned that the 1998 Souder-amendment to the Higher Education Act sends the wrong message about our nation's priorities. The purpose of the HEA was to expand to our nation's less privileged the access to secondary education regardless of race, sex, or wealth. Unfortunately, the Souder-amendment corrupts the original intent of the HEA and further thwarts the effort of those trying to put their lives back on track.
The new restriction will impact people of color, poor- and middle-class students the most. Whereas African-Americans represent approximately 13% of all drug users, they account for nearly 55% of those convicted of a drug offense. A similar pattern can be detected for the Latino population. Thus, the 1998 Souder-amendment to the HEA will unjustly deny educational opportunities to people of color. In addition, students with modest means are those most likely to receive aid and, consequentially, will be the most likely to miss educational opportunity because they stand the greatest chance of losing financial assistance. Finally, students of modest means are more likely to be arrested and convicted of a drug-related crime, though a majority of these crimes are non-violent, low-level offenses.
I strongly believe that our financial resources should go to those who need the most help. Our priority should be to help those individuals affected with drug addiction by making available a way to better their lives. People dealing with the cycle of addiction should be granted the same opportunities as those who can afford to circumvent federal assistance. The HEA restriction does not seek to better America, rather it fosters the cycles of addiction and failure. I urge you to support reform of the 1998 Souder-amendment to the HEA.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
November 07, 2001
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Nearly thirty years ago, in an effort to increase higher education opportunities, Congress passed the Higher Education Act (HEA). HEA established financial aid programs to increase access to secondary education regardless of race, religion, or family wealth. Today, federal assistance programs are the single largest source of student aid throughout the nation - providing roughly $40 billion per year to approximately 7 million students.
In 1998, Congress passed the Souder-amendment to the Higher Education Act. As a result, the Department of Education began to restrict federal assistance to any person convicted of any kind of drug-related crime. Buried in a lengthy bill titled "Higher Education Technical Amendments Act", the new restriction was ratified with little public debate.
We believe this new provision sends the wrong message.
1) It hurts working families and fosters failure among those who are trying to make their lives better.
2) The new provision will have a discriminatory impact due to the fact that people of color represent a majority of those sentenced for drug-related crimes.
3) Making offenders pay their debt in the criminal justice system and through the refusal of federal benefits unjustly punishes students twice for the same crime.
4) It ignores the primary drug problem on campuses across the nation - alcohol.
5) Finally, it will not solve our nation's problem with drugs.
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