W.Va's free community college deal comes with a drug test - Entrepreneur Generations

"The West Virginia Senate voted, unanimously and across party lines, on Tuesday to move Senate Bill 284 on to the House of Delegates for consideration. If enacted, the bill would create a last-dollar benefit to cover the outstanding costs of tuition and mandatory fees not covered by Pell Grants or other grant aid," Adam Harris reports for The Chronicle of Higher Education.

But there's a catch: prospective students would have to pay for, and pass, a drug test to qualify for the scholarship. That's kicked up some controversy in a state hard-hit by the opioid epidemic. Proponents like Mitch Carmichael, president of the state Senate and sponsor of the legislation, said "From a state perspective, it helps us say to the world that our work force is drug-free, trained, educated, and ready to go to work." He also says it provides an incentive for people to be drug-free.

Critics say it's unclear how the state will carry out the testing, and whether a student would be excluded for taking legally prescribed painkillers or medication assisted treatment drugs, which are opioids that prevent an addict from going through withdrawal.

from The Rural Blog http://ift.tt/2GUUdqf W.Va's free community college deal comes with a drug test - Entrepreneur Generations

Posted by Entrepreneur Generations

Tweet