College tuition keeps going up year after year. Fortunately, there are varied financial aid opportunities, grants and scholarships to make it financially attainable. Unfortunately, a criminal conviction can jeopardize a child’s eligibility for financial aid, which can stop a college career before they finish or even begin.
Background checks now common
In the old days, admission was based on a GPA, test scores and letters of recommendation. Now schools often also do background checks, looking for a criminal record. Moreover, they may suspend current students for alleged illegal actions that took place off-campus, causing grades to drop or students to withdraw from classes. Students may even get expelled for more severe charges.
This record follows them through life
These charges will not only follow the student to a new campus, but they can also impact job prospects after graduation. Certain professions (like teaching, for example) are very strict about hiring employees with a criminal record. The goal of college was likely to land a better job afterward, now this may not be the case.
Students and families have options
The situation is not hopeless. Those students facing charges can significantly benefit from the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney. They can perhaps get the charges dropped, reduced, or advocate for penalties that would not sidetrack their college career.
An expungement for juveniles and first-time offenders may also be an option. This clears the student’s record and allows them to reach their full potential once again without bias against them.
