Being accused of a crime can be a scary event for anyone. For college students, however, the potential threat of a criminal conviction can mean the difference between graduating and not graduating.
DC Student Defense understands the magnitude of what’s at stake when students are accused of crimes. Not only can a criminal accusation affect a student’s academic career, it can create long-lasting effects that ripple into their professional career and cause difficulties in landing a job post-college.
As student defense attorneys, our team at DC Student Defense deals with college students who are arrested and charged with criminal activity all of the time. One of the most common questions we receive is: “What effect is this going to have on my scholarship?”
The short answer is that it depends – on a number of different variables. Depending on the severity of your crime and your school’s specific policies, you may be in danger of losing all your financial aid, or you may have nothing to worry about.
In this blog, Shan Wu, a Washington, DC college student criminal defense attorney, gives an overview of some of the information you should know if you’re a college student who’s been convicted of a crime.
Am I Eligible for Federal Financial Aid if I Have a Criminal Record?
One of the biggest suppliers of financial aid in the US is the federal government. Millions of students every year use federal grants and loans to finance their higher education. And for many, federal financial aid is what makes their dream of attending college a reality.
However, the federal government has outlined some key stipulations for who is and isn’t eligible to receive financial aid, some of which directly impact students convicted of crimes.
The most prominent barrier that exists for those with a criminal record is that incarcerated students have limited eligibility for federal financial aid.
Previously, drug offenses also barred students from receiving federal grants and loans, but drug convictions no longer affect federal financial aid eligibility.
For most other felonies, there are no explicit rules against receiving financial aid from the federal government.
What Will Happen to My Individual Schools’ Scholarships if I am Charged with a Crime?
Being charged with a crime doesn’t necessarily mean you will lose all federal funding – only if you are convicted of a drug offense or if you are sentenced to jail time. But what about your school’s individual merit or need-based scholarships?
Every school’s policies are different. For example, some schools may be participating in Ban the Box campaigns, which advocate for creating greater opportunities for those convicted of felonies.
This means they may not inquire about past criminal records or take that into account when awarding scholarships.
Other schools might take the opposite approach. Many universities have agreements with local law enforcement to be informed whenever one of their students is arrested or gets in trouble with the law.
For these schools, an arrest, charge, or conviction might be enough to disqualify you from their merit or need-based scholarships.
The best way to find out is to contact your school’s financial aid office. They will be able to give you information about your school’s policy and the specific requirements for maintaining good academic standing in order to receive scholarships.
Contact An Experienced Student Defense Attorney Today
If you have been accused of a crime and you are concerned about the effect that it may have on your college career, working with a student defense attorney to understand the extent of the accusation’s impact is vital.
An experienced student defense attorney will not only know the law inside and out, but they will also understand and be able to explain to you the nuances involved in campus disciplinary hearings.
DC Student Defense is here to help make sure your rights are being respected and walk you through any legal processes you need to protect your academic future. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
