Students at Central Missouri's Linn State Technical College will notice an extra $50 expense added to their student fees this year. Along with textbooks and meal plans, they'll need to cover mandatory drug tests, too.
Linn officials believe they are the first institution in higher education to require students to undergo drug screenings. The tests will cover eleven drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and oxycodone.
Administrators at Linn, located 100 miles southwest of St. Louis, say they want students to be sober enough to handle technical coursework that includes aircraft maintenance, heavy engine repair and nuclear technology. (The policy will cover all first-year students, including those pursuing general education degrees.)
Civil liberties groups are threatening to sue.
Read the Associated Press report here.
