Letter sent to Maria Cantwell on Education Funding

As your constituent, I'm writing to urge you to make sure that the penalty that strips financial aid from college students with drug convictions is repealed through the Higher Education Act reauthorization.

While the penalty is supposed to keep young people away from drugs, it actually does the opposite by keeping at-risk students from educating themselves. This is a cruel, and in my opinion, un-American permanent punishment for youthful indiscretions.

Besides making it more difficult for young people to better themselves, blocking access to education has harmful implications for society as a whole. College graduates are much more likely to become successful taxpaying citizens, while those who are kicked out of school are more likely to abuse drugs, become costly drains on the criminal justice system, and rely on expensive government assistance programs.

Education is one of the best means to reduce crime and drug abuse.

Fortunately, this year’s HEA reauthorization process presents a great opportunity to get rid of the harmful and unfair penalty once and for all. Please help tens of thousands of hardworking and determined individuals get back into school and on the path to success by making sure that the HEA bill includes language repealing the aid elimination penalty.

Thanks for your attention to this important issue. I will follow your vote on this issue with interest.