College students often reside in a bubble, living out their university years with little fear of reproach or understanding of the long-term consequences of their actions. These young people are at a crossroads of maturation where many are prone to making mistakes and unwise decisions, particularly under the influence of alcohol, and at the same time they are also of an age to be considered adults with regard to the criminal justice system. This is a dangerous combination that causes college students to be at a very high risk for doing severe damage to their futures.
When a college student is convicted of a crime, it has the potential to forfeit their goals and literally ruin their young lives in some circumstances. Below we’ve detailed three major consequences that can occur when a college student is convicted of a crime.
1) Educational Consequences
Depending on the institution that the student attends, a criminal conviction—even a misdemeanor—could result in severe educational consequences. Universities, and particularly private colleges, can institute their own penalties on students in these situations on top of the criminal penalties up to and including expulsion, suspension, removal of financial aid or scholarships, and removal from campus groups or athletic teams. Most young people go to college with an eye towards the future, and their college resume has a major impact on their ability to get their first job or be accepted to graduate school. The implications of a severe penalty like an expulsion from a colleges is clear, but even penalties as seemingly inconsequential as being kicked out of an extracurricular group could have a major impact on one’s overall college resume, and in turn, their prospects for post-college advancement.
2) Professional
What happens in college does not necessarily stay in college. In a market where even the most talented college students are leaving college with high amounts of student loan debt and struggling to find employment, how well do you think you will stack up to the competition for your first job if your potential employer sees a misdemeanor or felony on your record? It can be very difficult to have criminal convictions removed from your record, if it is possible at all, and those convictions could follow you to every job you attempt to obtain for the rest of your life. Particularly if you are interested in entering a licensed profession such as law or medicine, you have very little chance of fulfilling your goals with a criminal conviction on your record.
3) Driving
One’s ability to drive is often taken for granted, but how will you get to your classes if you are a commuter? How will you attend job interviews? How would you get to work if you are even hired in the first place? Much of a college student’s career aspirations are greatly affected by his or her ability to drive. Sure, you may be able to use public transportation if you live in a big city, but more often than not, losing one’s driver’s license due to a criminal conviction could preclude you from getting the education or job you need and want.
If you are a college student facing criminal penalties, please contact the Greg McCollum Complete Legal Defense Team and let us fight to defend your rights and your future. A simple mistake in college should not haunt you for the rest of your life. Give us a call today and let’s discuss your options.
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