Maryland House HEA bill dies in committee, Senate bill to come

SSDP recently worked to pass a bill in Maryland that would de-link state and federal requirements for financial aid, allowing students to receive state financial aid even if a drug conviction prevents them from receiving federal funds. 

SSDP Executive Director Kris Krane testified in support of the bill before the Maryland State Legislature on February 20, 2007, as did DRCNet’s Dave Borden and University of Maryland SSDP President Stacia Cosner. 

Kris Krane’s testimony can be read online at http://www.ssdp.org/campaigns/hea/2007-kris-md-testimony.doc

Maryland currently uses federal guidelines to determine state aid eligibility, so student with drug convictions are automatically denied. This is done merely for convenience in determining aid, not because it is required by state law.

The House of Delegates bill would have ensured that the Maryland Higher Education Commission only denies financial aid to students for reasons specified by the Maryland Legislature.

“Because Maryland currently links its financial aid requirements to federal guidelines, students with drug convictions are virtually assured of being forced to drop out of school when their federal and state aid is revoked,” said Kris Krane in his testimony before the legislature.

“By simply allowing Maryland to set its own criteria for financial aid eligibility, many of these students will be able to stay in school with the assistance of state loans and grants.”

Almost 3,000 students in Maryland have been denied aid because of drug convictions.

“These students undoubtedly have made a mistake; a mistake however that should be learned from, not a mistake that should stop learning in its tracks,” said Cosner in her testimony.

The bill, which had 21 cosponsors, was voted down in the House Ways and Means Committee. A similar bill is expected to be introduced in the Maryland Senate this term.

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