Once again I played chicken with the IRS's filing deadline. Although the stress from my procrastination was self-induced, for many qualified people aspiring to attend college, April 17 is a cruel reminder of a hopeless opportunity.
While in class studying how to prepare tax returns I became acquainted with some of the peculiarities of our tax codes. Having been out of school for decades and cursed with a limited attention span, I found myself drifting off in la-la-land as the instructor was discussing the Hope Educational Tax Credit (HETC).
For no apparent reason I began to focus on the fine print pertaining to this $1,500 financial bonanza for freshman and sophomores. I read a passage stating that those convicted of felony possession offenses were barred from this program.
"This lucrative monetary inducement couldn't possibly be exclusionary just for drug offenders?" I thought to myself. Figuring there was some reasonable explanation, I jokingly asked the instructor, "Does this mean that rapist and murders could receive this credit?"
The teacher paused, his reddening face pasted with the "I wish you hadn't asked that question" look. He hesitantly, almost apologetically, explained that those filers who have felony drug convictions are in deed not eligible.
Yet, people who have committed heinous crimes - including violent offenders - could be entitled to receive a taxpayer-funded reimbursement to attend college! There was a collective "huh?" then a deafening silence as the class contemplated the absurdity of this rule.
I was immediately reminded of my childhood days pitching pennies with friends when Robert Okley bolted out of his house to chastise us on the sins of betting. This came from the neighborhood thug who spent the majority of his schooling on suspension for seemingly every conceivable misdeed, except gambling.
The HETC was instituted to help low and middle income students pursue higher education. The Higher Education Act (HEA), another needs-based federally funded program that provides student financial aid and work study opportunities, also bars participation based on drug convictions. For many poor high school graduates choosing to further their education, both of these government programs would alleviative some of the enormous costs associated with college. Unfortunately, the very applicants most in need of financial assistance disproportionately account for most of the drug convictions in our country.
According to the Department of Justice, even though blacks only account for around 12 percent of the population and 13 percent of drug usage, 70 percent of those jailed for possession are black. For juveniles incarcerated for first-time drug charges the rate of commitment for blacks is 48 times that of whites.
On the other hand, while our duplicitous judicial system incarcerates people for drug offenses, the pervasive problem of underage drinking plaguing our college campuses evokes comparably less harsh punitive measures.
For families blessed with superior schools, resources and other perks associated with wealth, neither the HETC nor the HEA are relevant. On the contrary, for poor families these programs are pivotal in fulfilling the dream of attending college.
The disparity in schools, emphasis on testing, and the rising cost of higher education have resulted in our colleges and universities becoming excessively weighted toward the privileged. The imposition of spurious caveats - such as drug convictions -only perpetuate this entrenched elitism.
Denying people further education because of drugs will not address the perceived "drug problem." In fact, the fallout from this "war on drugs" has resulted in prison costs for many states exceeding what those states spend on education. In some states, more blacks and Latinos go to prison than graduate from state universities.
This juxtaposition of the cost for incarceration vs. education highlights our misguided values. It is ludicrous that the ubiquitous drug usage among society at large - including many college graduates - would serve as grounds for preventing people the opportunity for higher education.
Why take away hope from those who use dope?
South End writer Joe Kadushin may be reached through the e-mail and postal addresses listed at this link.[[In-content Ad]]
