SEND A LETTER!

Writing a letter to congress is more important than you might think. Letters from United States residents are essential to our campaign and every one counts. You should urge your Representative and Senators to repeal the Drug Provision.

Do you know who your elected officials are?!?! Find out here.

You can use our web-based form to write to your Representative by clicking here, or click here to use the form to write to your Senator. You can also take the steps below. Thank you so much for your support!

To make the most impact, we encourage you to call congress today!


Issue
On March 9, 2005 Rep. Barney Frank (MA-4) introduced the Removing Impediments to Students' Education (RISE) Act, H.R. 1184, which if enacted will repeal the HEA Drug Provision. So far, it has 63 co-sponsors. During the 108th Congress, H.R. 685, co-sponsored by 70 members of the House of Representatives would have, if enacted, fully repealed the drug provision, which has denied aid to over 160,500 students since taking effect in 2000. However, there is no similar bill pending in the Senate.

We need to convince members of the Senate to introduce and support a Senate bill that would fully repeal the HEA Drug Provision. With several key Democrats on board, we especially need a Republican willing to co-sponsor such a bill in the Senate.

Background on HEA
Added in 1998 as an amendment to the Higher Education Act (HEA), the “Drug Provision” (section 484(r) or 20 USC 1091(r)) bars students with drug convictions from receiving federal financial aid to attend institutions of higher learning. The provision has had the effect of disqualifying a large number of deserving, low- to middle-income students from receiving federal aid to attend college for what are often relatively minor drug offenses, including misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Action Needed
We need Members of the Senate to introduce a bill that will repeal the HEA Drug Provision. Write, fax, call, or schedule personal visits with your Senators and urge them to support repeal of the HEA Drug Provision. (See the sample letter and phone script below.) Only a strong constituent voice like yours can convince the Senate that this is an issue they should support.

 


House of Representatives

You can copy and paste the sample letter below and send an email using the House of Representatives Mail Portal. Or you send it via fax or snail mail by looking up your representative.

Not sure who to write? Some key people to contact are on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.


Dear Representative ________:

Please support repeal of the Higher Education Act (HEA) Drug Provision, a law that since taking effect in 2000 has delayed or denied aid to more than 160,500 students with past drug convictions. I am asking you to cosponsor the Removing Impediments to Students' Education (RISE) Act in the 109th Congress and fully repeal the HEA Drug Provision. An equivalent bill in the 108th Congress, H.R. 685, was cosponsored by 70 members of the House of Representatives.

Earlier this year the Congressionally-appointed Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, a bipartisan commission tasked with examining ways to simplify the financial aid process, called on Congress repeal the HEA Drug Provision. The report calls the question about drug convictions on the FAFSA form "irrelevant," and asserts that it "... add(s) complexity to the form and can deter some students from applying for financial aid."

The HEA drug provision is troubling for numerous reasons:

* It is economically discriminatory and only affects the children of low- and middle-income families who rely on student loans, federal work-study programs, Pell Grants, and other forms of aid to help finance their educations. These are the very students and families whom the HEA set out to assist by expanding their educational opportunities.

* It is inappropriate to punish people twice for the same offense. Individuals with drug convictions are already punished by the criminal justice system and oftentimes their school as well.

* Judges already have the discretion to deny federal benefits to those convicted in their courts. Likewise, school administrators have the discretion to discipline and/or expel students who violate university policies. We should let those who are directly in touch with these students make such judgment calls -- not have one blanket policy decided in Washington, for every student no matter what the circumstances.

* Studies have shown that those convicted of crimes are far less likely to be re-arrested after having received two years of postsecondary education and that students who leave school after their first year have a dramatically reduced return rate.

Therefore, it does not seem in anyone's best interest to take students out of school for drug offenses. I fear that denying such students the opportunity to pull themselves out of the dangerous cycles of poverty and poor lifestyle choices may lead some of them to destructive behavior which we will later pay for in crime and tax dollars.

President Bush has said that "America is the land of the second chance." I ask you to embrace that message by working to ensure that Congress corrects the mistake it made in 1998. Please cosponsor and support legislation in the 109th Congress that will fully repeal the HEA Drug Provision.

Thank you in advance for your attention on this important issue, and I would certainly appreciate a response with your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Address





Senate

You can copy and paste the sample letter below and send an email using the Senate Website. Or you send it via fax or snail mail by looking up your senator.

Not sure who to write? Some key people to contact are on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.


Dear Senator ________:

I am writing you to express my concern about a harmful and unjust law which denies federal financial aid to students with drug convictions. Added in 1998 as an amendment to the Higher Education Act, this law is now being reconsidered in the House of Representatives. Since the law’s enactment, over 160,500 students have been impacted by the law, often for relatively minor offenses such as misdemeanor marijuana possession.

One of the troubling consequences of the drug provision is that it primarily impacts the children of low- and middle-income families who rely on student loans, federal work-study programs, and other forms of aid to help finance their educations. These are the very students and families the HEA is intended to assist.

It also is unfair to punish students twice for the same offense. These students have already been arrested, convicted and punished in the criminal justice system, and oftentimes by their school as well. Judges possess the discretion to deny federal benefits to those convicted in their courts. Likewise, school administrators have the discretion to discipline and/or expel students who violate university policies. We should allow those who are most familiar with these students to make decisions about what punishments are appropriate, not officials in Washington who make blanket prohibitions which unnecessarily exclude deserving students from pursuing an education.

It is not in society’s best interest to take students out of school for an offense that the criminal justice system has already dealt with. Studies have shown that those convicted of crimes are far less likely to be re-arrested after having received two years of postsecondary education. Denying students the opportunity to pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty and poor lifestyle choices may lead them to destructive behavior which we will later pay for in crime and tax dollars.

President Bush said in his State of the Union address that “America is the land of the second chance.” I ask you to embrace that message and invest in the young people we need to keep our country moving in the right direction.

As a member of the Senate, you now have the opportunity to ensure that Congress corrects the mistake it made in 1998. H.R. 1184, the Removing Impediments to Students' Education (RISE) Act, introduced on March 9, 2005 so far has gained the support of 64 members of Congress. H.R. 685 received the support of 70 members of the House during the 108th Congress. However, no bill is set to be introduced in the Senate. I urge you to introduce and support a bill similar to H.R. 1184 that would repeal the drug provision contained in existing law.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. I would certainly appreciate a response with your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Address




Misc

Sample Letter specifically tailored to address the repeal of the HEA drug provision from the standpoint of a Financial Aid Director.

Sample Letter designed for use by College Presidents and Administrators but should be useful for any college educator.

   

Home | Webmaster | Contact us
Site Design by c3 Copyright © 2005 RaiseYourVoice.com, All rights reserved.