Has the War on Drugs become a War on Education?

Take Action Now to Help Students Stay in School


Did you know that college students convicted of any drug offense - even possessing just one marijuana joint - are automatically stripped of their financial aid, while murderers and rapists are still eligible to receive federal loans and grants?

If you agree that this penalty is unfair, why not ask the people who represent you in Congress to do something about it? All you have to do is visit http://capwiz.com/mobilize/issues/alert/?alertid=9063991 and enter in your name and address. A pre-written letter will automatically be sent to your members of Congress urging them to co-sponsor upcoming legislation to repeal the penalty.

The student aid elimination penalty, which was first enforced in 2000, has since blocked educational assistance to nearly 200,000 aspiring students.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy has been lobbying to overturn this harmful law since day one. However, with the new leadership in Congress, this is the first real chance we have to help students get back into school and on the path to success. But we simply cannot do it without your help.

Last year, a bill to repeal the penalty - the Removing Impediments to Students' Education (RISE) Act - had more than 70 co-sponsors in the U.S. House. Won't you help us ensure that this year's bill has even more support when it is introduced in the U.S. House in the next few weeks?

Please visit http://capwiz.com/mobilize/issues/alert/?alertid=9063991 right now to send a message to your members of Congress. We've made it as easy as possible for you to take action; all you have to do is enter in your name and contact information and a pre-written letter will be sent on your behalf with just a few clicks.

If concerned citizens like you don't let legislators know how you feel about this law, Congress will have absolutely no reason to do anything about it. But senators and representatives work for you, and when thousands of messages pour in to offices across Capitol Hill, legislators will be forced to take a stand. Please do your part to ensure that a record number of co-sponsors sign on the RISE Act this year.

With your help, we can and will repeal the aid elimination penalty once and for all. Thousands of young people are waiting to get back into school. Won't you help them today by visiting http://capwiz.com/mobilize/issues/alert/?alertid=9063991 and clicking a few buttons?

Thanks for taking action,

Kris Krane
SSDP Executive Director

P.S. If you support SSDP's work, we'd very much appreciate it if you could make a donation so that we can keep up the pressure on Congress. If you can afford any size donation, please visit http://www.ssdp.org/donate to make a contribution today.

P.P.S. Check out the letter that more that 150 prominent education, substance abuse recovery, civil rights, and law organizations are sending to Congress this week calling for repeal of the aid elimination penalty at http://www.ssdp.org/campaigns/hea/letter.shtml

P.P.P. S. Join the SSDP group on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204718067