Getting a DUI conviction on record can potentially have a bigger impact than you might expect. This holds especially true if you attend college or have plans of doing so.
But how exactly do DUI convictions impact college careers?
Financial penalties
The College Investor states that one DUI could potentially ruin a college career. This depends on how the college itself chooses to handle your DUI.
Most colleges will not directly expel you for a DUI. This often only happens in the event that you cause egregious harm to others, damage significant property, or cause the death of someone else.
However, even if you do not get expelled, they can and will still penalize you for the blemish on your record. Most colleges will pull all financial support, including scholarships and even awards. They may also bar you from using on-campus housing, forcing you to pay off-campus prices. Combined, these additional costs could price you out of attending the school altogether, which essentially acts as an informal type of expulsion.
Impacts on career
At the same time, a DUI can impact the type of careers you can go into, which will have an impact on the schooling you can do, too. Job fields that do not hire people with a DUI on record can include anything that works with children, government positions, and jobs that require a commercial driver’s license.
Due to the lasting impacts that a DUI conviction can have, it is important to take charges seriously from the start. This can make all of the difference in preserving your academic path and future.