Federal Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Violations
Federal guidelines focus most strongly on illicit drug use and distribution. The 1998 Campus Security Act says that students convicted for an illicit drug violation can be denied financial aid support for a specific period, in addition to other legal penalties.
SEC. 483. Student Eligibility - "In general, a student who has been convicted of any offense under any Federal or State law involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance shall not be eligible to receive any grant, loan, or work assistance under this title during the period beginning on the date of such conviction and ending after the interval specified in the following tables.
If
convicted of possession of a controlled substance, the ineligibility
period is one year for first offense, two years for second offense and indefinitely for third offense.
If convicted for
the distribution of a controlled substance,
the ineligibility period is two years for first offense and indefinitely for second offense.
A student whose federal aid eligibility has been suspended, may become eligible before the end of the ineligibility period:
- If the student satisfactorily completes a drug rehabilitation program that complies with criteria prescribed in regulations, and that includes 2 unannounced drug tests.
- If the conviction is reversed, set aside, or otherwise rendered nugatory.
For
additional details on Federal financial aid penalties for drug violations, visit http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/
Pell Grant
Federal guidelines state that the grantee must certify that he or she will not engage in the above unlawful activities related to controlled substances during the period covered by the grant.