A DUI conviction can lead to jail time, fines, and license suspension. Whether you are in high school or in college, getting charged or convicted of a DUI can also have a negative impact on your educational opportunities.
When you apply to college, the application will often ask if you have been convicted of a criminal offense, requiring you to disclose your drunk driving charge. Even if you don’t disclose your conviction, your application could still be denied if the school discovers you falsified your application.
Some schools simply deny applicants with criminal records, while others may accept such applications but will often prefer applicants with a clean criminal record. For example, specialized schools such as medical school and nursing programs are particularly strict about accepting students with a DUI conviction. However, community colleges and trade schools commonly don’t take a DUI conviction into account, unless it is a felony.
For students already enrolled in college, some schools have a policy that requires students charged with a criminal offense to report the incident to the institution within a certain time limit. They may face either suspension or expulsion.
In addition, a DWI could mean losing financial aid or scholarships. If you are a student-athlete, you could be suspended for several games or kicked off the team.
If your university doesn’t punish students who commit crimes, the consequences of a DUI can still indirectly affect your education. For instance, if you are sentenced to spend time in jail, you risk missing classes, causing you to get failing grades.
If you have been charged with DUI in Cleveland, OH, contact our legal team at Patituce & Associates and request a free consultation today.