MSU’s Office of Financial Aid has not been impacted by a federal law that denies assistance to students who have had prior drug convictions, but the law has been faced with opposition.

“Various institutions are being affected in various ways,” said Rick Shipman, executive director of the Office of Financial Aid. “But the Michigan State population is such that we are not seeing an impact here.”

Under the law, passed in 1998, students with one drug-possession offense must wait one year before receiving federal financial aid. Two-possession offenses or one drug-sale conviction makes a student ineligible for financial aid for two years.

Anything beyond that permanently disqualifies the student until he or she undergoes rehabilitation.

Shipman said the university must contact any student who checks “yes” on a questionnaire asking whether they’ve been convicted on drug charges.

Many leave it blank, and those the university does contact often change their responses.

“Virtually all of the students who answered yes did that in error,” he said. “The vast majority who left it blank