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Editorial: FAFSA drug question unfair to students

Students are people. They make mistakes.

Influenced by peer pressure, parents or curiosity, some students have found themselves involved with illegal activities, including the use of drugs.

Experimentation is a part of growing up. Some teenagers have used illegal drugs and have since wised up to the dangers of such activities.

A federal law passed last year unfairly punishes any student with a drug conviction applying for federal aid, but there is now a loophole that students should be aware of and, if necessary, take advantage of.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Education passed a new regulation that added new question to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The question states, "If you have never been convicted of any illegal drug offense, enter '1' in the box."

Students with a prior conviction were then at the mercy of the government, and ultimately could not receive Pell Grants, student loans and other types of financial aid.

So, the government was trying to prevent students who were previously busted for selling or using drugs - even once - from getting money that likely is critical to their academic pursuits.

During recent months, more than 100,000 students were understandably nervous about answering the question and left the box blank. This left the Education Department with a tough decision to make - deny these students federal aid, or process their applications.

Last week, department officials determined to process all applications in which the student left the conviction question blank.

This gives students with past convictions an out - just leave the question blank.

Granted, the new question is somewhat justified, in that the government wants to ensure it isn't giving out taxpayer money to users and sellers. After all, that loan could easily be used to support a person's habit, which would not be a productive way to spend money when hundreds of worthwhile programs are strapped for cash.

But the problem with the new FAFSA form is that it hurts one-time offenders.

Students shouldn't have their academic pursuits squashed simply because they made one mistake and got busted.

Growing up can be a trying and confusing time, and some people will inevitably turn to drugs for one of many reasons.

This does not necessarily mean, though, that everybody who has smoked marijuana is a heavy user, even though the U.S. Department of Education might want to treat them as such.

Lying on the FAFSA form and misleading the government is not the answer, as that is a federal offense and can lead to serious ramifications.

Instead, students with drug convictions should leave the box blank.

This is the best short-term solution until the government can figure out a way to separate the one-time offenders from the heavy users.