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Scholarships for Students With Drug Convictions

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Tue Aug 05, 2003 at 08:19:11 AM EST
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Do you know someone who can't get financial aid for college due to a drug conviction? The John W. Perry Fund is awarding scholarships to help.

Federal law provides:

Section 484, subsection r of the Higher Education Act of 1998 (HEA) delays or denies federal student financial aid eligibility to applicants with any misdemeanor or felony drug conviction. Applicants with a single possession conviction lose eligibility for one year from conviction date; those with a second possession conviction or one sales conviction lose eligibility for two years; and three possession convictions or two sales convictions cost an applicant eligibility indefinitely.

Students enrolling in an approved drug treatment program can regain eligibility upon completing it. However, the measure neither provides funds for these generally expensive programs, nor distinguishes between mere use and true substance abuse. Would-be students who merely experimented with marijuana, for example, might be unable to find a program willing to accept them; or instead, might take up scarce slots needed by actual addicts seeking help.

The application process is fully explained on the site. Here are some details:

Who will receive scholarships?

The John W. Perry Fund will award scholarships of up to $2,000 to students affected by the HEA drug provision, who have the greatest financial need (educational expenses less other available resources), but also for whom our assistance will be most likely to be effective in enabling them to both attend and succeed in school. Applicants will have the option to spend scholarship funds on drug treatment programs to restore their eligibility for federal aid; however, applicants are encouraged to use this option only if they have an actual substance abuse problem. It is projected that the typical award will be in the neighborhood of $1,000.

We still have money to give away for September 2003! Please contact us and apply as soon as possible if you are seeking assistance for the fall semester. To apply for a Perry Fund scholarship, first fill out our line pre-application form online. Then, download an application in PDF format, or contact us at perryfund@raiseyourvoice.com or (202) 362-0030 if you need a copy by mail or fax. Next, fill out the Q. 35 Drug Question Worksheet.

According to the site,

More than 100,000 students or would-be students have officially been denied aid since the drug provision was enacted, plus an unknown number who didn't apply because they rightly or wrongly believed they were ineligible. Aid denied annually is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Who was John W. Perry?

John William Perry was a New York City police officer and a Libertarian Party and ACLU activist who spoke out against the "war on drugs." He was also a lawyer, athlete, actor, linguist and humanitarian. On the morning of September 11, John Perry was at One Police Plaza in lower Manhattan filing retirement papers when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Without hesitation he went to help, losing his life rescuing others. This scholarship program, which addresses a drug war injustice, is dedicated to his memory. John Perry's academic achievements are also an inspiring example for students: He was fluent in several languages, graduated from NYU Law School and prosecuted NYPD misconduct cases for the department.

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