Sex offenders receive financial aid for education
- posted: 25 Mar. 2008
- scrollnews@byui.edu
As millions of students throughout the United States struggle to pay for college, convicted sex offenders, such as rapists and child molesters, are given money through governmental financial aid to pay for higher education — about $250,000 a year.
“I think it is a good thing that they are getting an education, but I don’t know how I feel about them [sex offenders] being handed money,” said Ben Kocher, a junior studying communication.
Although Congress passed legislation in 1994 outlawing federal and state prisoners from obtaining Pell Grants and other forms of financial aid, a loophole currently exists for sex offenders who are released from prison but deemed by a jury unfit to return to society, according to a Congressional press release.
These felons, who are considered both dangerous and more likely than others to repeat their crimes, are sentenced to civil commitment centers, where they are held indefinitely for treatment. However, once incarcerated at the centers, the convicts are no longer labeled inmates and are therefore not barred from obtaining financial aid.
“I don’t think they deserve this. It doesn’t make sense for them to be receiving money. You shouldn’t be rewarded for doing bad things,” Kocher said.
Many citizens across the nation also say it is wrong to give sex offenders money, and some have been trying to prevent this from continuing.
In 2005, Congressman Vito Fossella urged Congress to pass legislation that would stop these convicted predators from receiving free college educations. The motion did not pass.
“This is unconscionable. Not one penny of our tax dollars should be used to provide a free college education to sex offenders. [F]amilies should not be forced to foot the bill for rapists and child molesters to attend college. I believe federal financial aid should be directed to these hard-working families and students,” Fossella said in the press release.
Currently, Representative Ric Keller is trying to stop this practice so that financial aid will only go to students who haven’t committed crimes and are struggling to go to college.
“This is the most insane waste of taxpayer money that I have seen in my eight years in Congress. It is a national embarrassment that we are wasting taxpayer dollars for pedophiles and rapists to take college courses while hardworking young people from lower-class families are flipping hamburgers to pay for college,” Keller said to MSNBC.
Keller’s plan would affect 20 states that allow authorities to hold violent sex offenders indefinitely after they have served their prison sentences. He predicted the measure would save taxpayers millions.
However, others say it would be counterproductive to put up a barrier to education for sex offenders who are trying to rehabilitate themselves. Andrea Gibson, a senior studying recreational management, believes that it is a positive thing for sex offenders to receive financial aid.
“I am okay with it. I think it’s good that they’re getting an education and they don’t have any means to pay for it. I believe everyone has the right to a second chance,” Gibson said. 
