Rapists and Murderers and Arsonist Oh My...

... but not drug offenders.

The New York Times has a nice piece on the bizarre discrepency of federal financial aid policy in regards to drug offenses. This has been bothering me ever since I filled out my the paperwork for my first FAFSA loan. They don't ask you any question about your past criminal record, except for drug convictions, and you will be denied federal aid based solely on that. Even if it is a single count of marijuana possession. From the Times article:

After serving almost 10 years in prison for attempted murder, Jason Bell went straight to college on federal grants and loans. Now a senior at San Francisco State University, he helps other ex-convicts enroll in the university but often has the hardest time assisting drug offenders whose crimes were minor, certainly a lot less serious than his.

The government argues that this law discourages students from experimenting with drugs or becoming addicted. And yet, they do virtually nothing to discourage alcohol consumption, which is a contributing factor in nearly all on-campus rapes.

Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day. I'm going to blow off school today and drink beer till I puke. It's a good thing my financial aid isn't on the line...