This school year alone, the amendment has affected some 26,967 of the poorest college students. "Drugs are treated more seriously than murder or aggravated assault," said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who has introduced a bill every year since 1999 to repeal the law.

Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.), who drafted the original bill, has also introduced four amendments this year. The amendments would have restricted financial aid to students currently receiving assistance, if they were convicted of a drug offense.

Any chance for a revision to the Higher Education Act seems unlikely, however, since the Senate has removed from its agenda a bill reauthorizing the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The bill also contained the Souder amendment.

"It's an outrage," said Ross Wilson, legislative director of the nonprofit Students for Sensible Drug Policy. "Congress has been promising us for a long time that they'd make the reform."

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