College bill might hinder financial aid

Financial aid could take
a hit because a legal clause
aimed at stopping digital pirates
was included in the College
Opportunity and Affordability
Act of 2007.

The bill was voted unanimously
Nov. 15 through the
House Education and Labor
Committee.

Students risk being barred
from several financial aid programs
if Campus-Based Digital
Theft Prevention (section 494)
is ignored.

According to section 494,
universities must “develop a
plan for offering alternatives
to illegal downloading or
peer-to-peer distribution of
intellectual property as well as
a plan to explore technologybased
deterrents to prevent
such illegal activity.”

These demands might force
universities to sign up for legal
ways to download media, such
as Napster, to stop copyright
violations among students.

One VCU student said the
way people find and distribute
copyrighted material is the
most important issue.
“I think services like Napster
are irrelevant,” said Mark Coffman,
a broadcast journalism
major. “Technology is the
gateway into music piracy. It
allows you to do what you
want to do.”

The 747-page bill offers
other helpful practices for
students, such as managing
textbook prices and steps to
increase campus safety.

Rep. George Miller, DCalif.,
the sponsor of the bill,
stated in a press release that
Congress already has enacted
other legislation to help fund
financial aid.