SSDP Gets The Statistics
The Department of Education has relinquished statistics on students who were denied federal aid based on prior drug convictions to Students for Sensible Drug Policy following a lawsuit the group filed to get the information for free. It turns out that since the 2000-2001 school year (the first year the rule was enacted), 189,065 students have been denied financial aid based on prior drug convictions. This accounts for about 1 in every 400 students that apply for federal aid.