Academic consequences of a DUI conviction

As a college student in California, you spend most of your time attending classes and completing assignments. You may even have a part- or full-time job at the same time. Long hours of homework, the pressure to do well and financial troubles may cause you a lot of stress.

One way that you may relax is by hanging out with friends or going to parties. You may drink alcohol to loosen up. While there is nothing wrong with this if you are of age, you may make some mistakes while you are drunk. In fact, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that there is a higher rate of DUI incidences among college students than noncollege peers. If you face drunk driving charges, you have more than a criminal record and fines to worry about. A DUI conviction may also put your education aspirations in jeopardy.

Loss of a scholarship

Receiving a DWI may also put you at risk of losing your scholarship. Some scholarships have strict provisions regarding criminal convictions. If you lose your scholarship funding, you may not be able to afford your college tuition.

Expulsion

If you get caught for driving under the influence of alcohol, your university may expel you. Certain colleges have strict honor codes relating to alcohol crimes. This will put your higher-education goals at a standstill.

Application denials

Expulsion from college may cause you to apply elsewhere. However, you must include any convictions you have on your college application. Colleges may deny your application because of your criminal history.

As you can tell, there are a lot of potential academic consequences if you get a DUI. On top of all of this, you may need to deal with serious fines, jail time and trouble finding a job. You may be able to avoid or reduce these penalties with the help of a DUI defense lawyer.