In the past, college-bound students with drug convictions on their records often had a difficult time obtaining government-backed financial aid. Indeed, the U.S. Department of Education frequently suspended loans, grants and work-study dollars for these individuals.
Thankfully, the U.S. DOE changed its policy early in 2021. According to the U.S. DOE, your drug conviction should not factor into your eligibility for government-backed financial aid. Other types of financial aid still may be on the chopping block because of your drug conviction, however.
College scholarships
It is not uncommon for colleges and universities to offer their own financial aid packages to students. Depending on your school’s policy, a drug conviction may make you ineligible for college scholarships. This may be especially true at private institutions, unfortunately.
Private scholarships
Even if you receive federal financial aid and college scholarships, you may be able to compete for private scholarship dollars. Indeed, many civic and other organizations offer scholarships to aspiring students. Still, a drug conviction can render you ineligible for their scholarships.
College costs
To save money when pursuing higher education, students often live in on-campus dormitories. Regrettably, if your drug conviction violates the dorm’s code of conduct, you may have to find somewhere else to live. As you probably know, off-campus housing can be considerably more expensive than on-campus dorms.
As you can see, having a drug conviction on your record can make college unaffordable. Ultimately, to ensure you can turn your educational dreams into reality, it is advisable to fight the drug charges you are currently facing.
