A new law goes into effect July 1 that will make paying for college more difficult for students convicted of drug-related crimes. Appropriately enough, the law is a provision of the Higher Education Act, but the irony is that the act was meant to make it easier for Americans to go to college.

Some argue the law is discriminatory, paranoid and harsh. Some say selectively punishing students already being punished for drug crimes is excessive and unnecessary.

However, at the Daily, we like to take a proactive look at the issues. Rather than complain about how unfair this new law is, let’s look at some crimes students can commit and still be eligible for financial aid.

Speeding is not enough to get your financial aid eligibility revoked. That makes sense; everybody likes to speed once in a while.

Good news for rapists with an eye toward getting a degree, you can still commit violence against women and get a Pell Grant to pay for your books, supplies and tuition.

Really good armed robbers may not need financial aid, but they will be happy to know that if they ARE busted, it will not interfere with college loans.

Murder is still not enough to interfere with aid, nor is insider trading, transporting a minor across state lines, obstruction of justice, mutiny or genocide.

In fact, there are so many more crimes in existence that will not stop anyone from getting a guaranteed student loan, grant or scholarship, that it seems rather petty to complain about one crime.

Enough is enough.

This law makes no sense. This new punishment is typical of the kind of draconian measures our society is now willing to take to punish anyone who uses drugs. Lawmakers afraid of looking apathetic about the problem of drug use will come up with anything to look busy no matter how asinine the end result.

Forgetting for a moment that no matter what we do to illegal drug users, people will continue to use. But not everyone who uses drugs has a problem that needs to be dealt with, just as not everyone who drinks a beer occasionally is an alcoholic.

Worse yet, some people may use this law as an excuse not to get help — they may be scared their financial aid would be taken away.

Consider that regardless of education and socio-economic background, 29 percent of Americans try drugs at some point in their life. Americans 18 to 20 are the largest group of drug users, but the smallest group of users are college graduates.

This law is a colossal waste of time and resources. It will only harm students unlucky enough to get caught and force Americans in need of an education to go without.

Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Kate Kompas, Greg Jerrett, Heidi Jolivette, Justin Kendall and Tara Payne.