Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 10:25:10 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199903191525.KAA00031@belmonte.ne.mediaone.net>
From: belmonte@mit.edu (Matthew Belmonte)
To: CapuanoHR8@aol.com
Subject: support HR 1053

Dear Representative Capuano:

I write as your constituent to express my support for HR 1053, introduced by
Barney Frank, which would repeal the provision in the Higher Education Act that
suspends or denies federal financial aid for students who have drug
convictions.  As a higher education teacher myself, I've seen that students who
are in trouble often are the people on whom education is most well spent.
When the Department of Education reviewed the proposed Higher Education Act
this past August, it opposed this provision and pointed out that existing law
already allows judges to strip students of eligibility for aid if they feel
that an individual case warrants such an action.  This discretion should be
returned to judges.