Driving under the influence (DUI) charges are common infractions in Georgia. College students are at elevated risk of an arrest due to making impaired driving mistakes. Whether they tailgate before a football game or try to drive home after a pledge week party, there are many ways in which there are many situations that could lead to a college student getting arrested for drunk driving.
Unfortunately, an offense during one’s college years could have a profound impact on whether someone gets a degree and what other opportunities they have in the future.
You could lose your enrollment
Whether you are enrolled at the University of Georgia or the Georgia Institute of Technology, you have to follow certain rules to stay in school. You need to attend class and maintain grades consistent with your program’s expectations.
You also need to adhere to the code of conduct for students, which often includes rules about criminal convictions. If you plead guilty to a drunk driving offense while enrolled at a Georgia college, the school could initiate disciplinary measures that could include expelling you or placing you on academic probation.
You could lose your financial aid
There are many different ways for college students to fund a higher education. They will likely fill out federal paperwork to help them qualify for subsidized loans and certain grants. Criminal convictions can end your eligibility temporarily for certain kinds of state aid.
Many school-based scholarship programs and private scholarship organizations have policies about criminal convictions. You could lose your financial aid for at least the semester when the offense occurred, if not indefinitely following your conviction.
You could struggle to secure work-study or internship opportunities
Simply graduating from college does not guarantee you a good job or a competitive salary. You will need to network to get a job and possibly complete an internship.
Unfortunately, the criminal record that you have from your years in college will show up whenever a prospective future employer does a background check. You will have a harder time getting a job or qualifying for an internship or work-study opportunity when you have a criminal record.
For many college students, fighting against impaired driving charges will be a better solution than pleading guilty. Looking into your options for a defense will help you minimize the effect of one mistake on your education and your future.