Being convicted of a DUI can affect a lot of your life. Your insurance will go up; you will have to pay fines and provide community service, and your movements may be restricted to a particular area. But, what about your future? Will this DUI affect the options you have for higher education?
Will A DUI Affect Your College Admission?
There are many colleges who ask about felonies and convictions on their admissions applications. While it may not be a felony, they may still request the nature of the charges. In the event your paperwork is in competition with others, this may work against you. There will be other applicants without arrests or DUI charges. If there are a handful of enrollments available, you will need every advantage you can get. The better the school, the higher their standards will be and the more competition you will have for admission. There will most likely be a limited number of students allowed for the year, and you’ll want to be one of them.
Should you decide to leave your DUI from the application, you will be rejected once they find out you lied. And it is incredibly likely they will. You want to be honest when filling out your applications, regardless of whether you think you will be found out or not.
Can a DUI Affect Your Scholarship?
Many private lending institutions have been known to withdraw funding to persons who have been convicted of a DUI. Because they are private, they can pull scholarships to anyone they choose. And in many cases, there are decency clauses that will give them just that power. There will be other candidates for the same scholarship, and they will want to give the tuition to the most deserving. A DUI carries the perception of frivolous behavior or lack of ambition. Neither is something that is worthy of an endowment.
While you may not be able to get a scholarship from a private institution, FAFSA may still be an option. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid will not necessarily exclude you because of your first conviction. However, the more you have, the less likely your approval will be. At the second conviction, you will have acquired a felony, and that will shut you out from FAFSA and most available scholarships. You can find out more here. You can ask the counselor about your FAFSA application and how you should answer any questions regarding your DUI. Additionally, you may want to let your attorney know that you will be filling out the application and speaking to the counselor, in case they ask you questions you aren’t sure how to answer. This way, you can make a quick call and ask your attorney.
Will a DUI Affect Your Education?
Should you have community service hours to fill, they may conflict with your classes. Many community services opportunities occur during regular business hours or after, but during the week. Sure, you can do them on weekends. But, that will cut into study time or time you need for assignments. This will cause your grades to suffer and could be troublesome for you. It could even get you dismissed from the class.
If you have a DUI conviction and have probation, it may affect your ability to go to a good college. Depending on the restrictions, you may not be able to leave the county you live in. In some cases, a judge may offer leniency, but even the process to ask for it could be too long. You may miss application deadlines or even get denied.
Fighting Your DUI
If you cannot afford to reside in a dorm or on campus, you may have to drive to school. If your conviction means that you need an Ignition Interlock Device, this could be a problem. There could be times that the instrument isn’t accurate and you can’t use the car. Or times it takes a minute to get it right and you end up late. These are problems that can cause you difficulty in school.
Speaking to your attorney is the best way to find out what your options are and how to secure your future. They will be able to tell you what your case looks like and how you can minimize the damage to your future. Your attorney will be able to tell you how to handle scholarship and admissions applications. They will understand the semantics of the paperwork and better advise you. Perhaps they ask if you have any felony convictions and yours was a misdemeanor. Or maybe you were granted a deferred adjudication and didn’t apply to the question. You will need an attorney for your case, regardless. You can start your research here.
