1st drinking, drug misdemeanor won't mean scholarship loss
By Diane Knich
It used to be that college students convicted of misdemeanor alcohol or drug offenses lost their state-funded scholarships and grants for a year. But the General Assembly, in a bill to prevent underage drinking, approved a change this past session that gives those students a pass on their first offense.
Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Columbia, one of the bills sponsors, said the state's House of Representatives initiated the change, which became law in June.
When students lose grants and scholarships, the financial burden often falls on parents, he said. "Many thought we should give kids and parents a second chance."
The underage drinking bill, he said, includes other consequences for youth who abuse alcohol as well as educational efforts "to help kids turn their lives around." Suspending their scholarships, he said, could make it more difficult for them to complete their education.
Financial aid officials at state colleges and universities said the change means some students who thought they weren't eligible for grants for low-income students and Palmetto Fellows, LIFE and HOPE scholarships could be eligible after all.
Aid officers notify all students who meet academic requirements that they are eligible for the awards, but they don't have access to information on students' legal status. Students must sign an affidavit that states they meet the award's legal requirements before they receive scholarship or grant money.
Donald Griggs, director of financial aid at the College of Charleston, said students who aren't eligible because of a felony conviction or an alcohol- or drug-related misdemeanor conviction generally simply decline the award.
Marvin Carmichael, Clemson University's director of financial aid, said he thinks the school will this summer try to notify students who are eligible for state-funded scholarships and grants but have turned down the awards. Students turn down aid for many different reasons, he said. But Clemson wants those who did so because they had a misdemeanor conviction to be aware that the rules have changed.
Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.
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PoliGadfly (anonymous) says...
The "law", reported in this morning's paper regarding second chances for "scholars" with poor judgment ability related to alcohol and drug use, is ludicrous.
If you drive irresponsibly, due to the same lapse in judgment regarding drug and alcohol use, should you expect a "second chance" at whether you or someone else is killed by your "scholarly" performance?
Polly Gadis-Flynn
July 30, 2007 at 7:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
Why should someone lose a scholorship at 18 because they got caught with a beer at 16? As far as drinking and driving, you are given a second chance. It's the third and fourth and fifth chance that drives me crazy, not the second. As far as driving irresponsibly, 2 people were killed yesterday in driving accidents, one drove off of the road and hit a tree, the other drove out of her lane and head on into another car. I'd call not being able to maintain your lane pretty irresponsible, yet around 70% of fatal accidents in this state are drove off the road and hit a tree or overcorrected and hit an oncoming vehicle accidents. I think the terrible driving skills in this state are a higher priority than keeping someone from getting a scholorship because they made a misdemeanor mistake when they were 16.
July 30, 2007 at 7:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kingsacura (anonymous) says...
Keep giving them a second chance that's what wrong with kids now a day. Look into the prison system. How many chances are enough? Kids need to know consequences.
Plus is it really the age of 16 when there doing the offence?
July 30, 2007 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
OK, 17 then. Or 20...did you not ever get a second chance? I'm not talking bout the revolving door kind of treatment, I don't like that when it happens, but I also don't care for kids being punished for having tweety bird wallets with a plastic belt chain on it either. Can't we do better than stupid too little and stupid too much? And you can't give or get a second chance more than once you know...maybe you could use a refresher course in math and logic.
July 30, 2007 at 4 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
issuetaker (anonymous) says...
Ok, lets do this. First criminal conviction OR pretrial intervention acceptance, loss of a eligibility for ANY State scholarship for one semester. Second conviction permanent loss of eligibility
July 30, 2007 at 4:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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