Four Aspects Of Your College Life That A DUI Conviction Can Ruin

Posted on: 15 November 2016

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The consequences of driving under the influence (DUI) are serious for everyone, but they are worse for college students. As a student, therefore, you need to be extra cautious to avoid drinking and driving. Here four aspects of your college education that will be affected if you're convicted of a DUI:

Study Time

Unless you are a genius in the literal meaning of the word (not the everyday adulterated meaning), you need to study to graduate in time and with good grades. Getting a DUI conviction or multiple DUI convictions may not allow you to do this. Getting arrested, getting sent to jail, having to go to court, meeting with your DUI lawyer, and recuperating from the DUI-related accident (if you get in an accident) can all take time away from your studies. As a result, your grades are likely to suffer.

Financial Aid

Most students rely on financial aid to help them graduate. Unfortunately, DUI convictions can restrict your access to financial aid. In most cases, financial aid providers receive more applications than they can handle. Therefore, they have a list of prerequisites to ensure that only the best applicants receive aid. Unfortunately, having a multiple DUIs on your record may not allow you to make the cut.

Specialization or Profession

It may also be difficult for you to get into some areas of specialization with multiple DUIs in your criminal record. For example, when applying for the licensure examination, nursing students in California have to report all their criminal convictions (all misdemeanors and felonies) to the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). Those who fail to report the convictions are fined. Your application may hit a snag if your charges and convictions were too serious and occurred in the recent past.

Personal Finances

Lastly, your DUI convictions may also affect your personal finances. There may be legal fees to pay, drunk driving classes to pay for, costs associated with alternative modes of transport (if your license is suspended), and court fines to pay for, among other related expenditures. All these can cripple your college budget and leave you suffering financially.

As you can see, the consequences of DUI convictions are dire for college students. It's in your best interest to avoid drinking and driving. If you do get caught driving while intoxicated, don't forget to hire a DUI attorney like Thomas A Corletta to help you minimize your potential punishments and their effect on your college education.