Federal law bans convicted sex offenders from receiving Pell Grants for higher education — but only if they are imprisoned. If they are finishing court-imposed sentences in treatment centers, they are eligible for the grants. Dozens of them have taken advantage of the loophole, according to U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, R-Fla.

Keller terms the fiasco ‘‘the most insane waste of taxpayer money that I have seen in my eight years in Congress.’’ We don’t know about that — ‘‘most insane’’ is a high bar to cross when the federal government is involved — but Keller is right about one thing: Something needs to be done about the loophole. We do not need our tax dollars going to help sex offenders attend Youngstown State University, the Kent State University Trumbull Campus or any other institution of higher learning.

Legislation to close the loophole is being suggested by Keller — but there is some opposition.