Being convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense can have serious consequences that could affect your eligibility to receive federal grants, loans, or work-study; it could also make it difficult to obtain funding for higher education. If the penalties for your conviction include incarceration, your eligibility for federal student aid will be limited. If the sentence was for a drug-related or sexual offense, your eligibility to receive federal funding will be suspended or denied.
Effects of Incarceration on Federal Student Aid
If you were convicted and sentenced to state or federal prison, you will be ineligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant or federal student loan during the time you are serving your sentence.
However, you are eligible to receive a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) or Federal Work-Study (FSW), but it could be difficult to get either of these types of aid. Funding for the FSEOG is limited, and the government gives priority to individuals who are also receiving Federal Pell Grants. Because incarceration renders you ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant, it would be challenging to receive an FSEOG. And, because the FSW requires recipients to work while receiving funding, being incarcerated would make it difficult to meet the requirements of this type of aid as well.
If you are sentenced to time in an institution other than state or federal prison, you may be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant; however, you are ineligible to receive federal student loans. You are also eligible for both the FSEOG and FSW, but you would have difficulty obtaining either type of aid because of your incarceration.
After you have completed your prison or jail sentence, you can apply for federal student aid – you can even apply just before your release to allow for your aid to be funded when your school term starts. However, if you were convicted for a drug-related or sexual offense, you will be unable to apply for federal aid, and your eligibility will be suspended.
Effects of a Drug-Related Conviction on Federal Student Aid
Depending on the number and type of drug offense you were convicted of while you were receiving federal aid, your eligibility could be suspended for 1 year from the date of the conviction, up to indefinitely. The suspensions do not apply if you were not receiving federal aid when you were convicted of a drug-related offense. If your eligibility was suspended, you can pursue early reinstatement by finishing a drug rehabilitation program or by testing clean after 2 random drug tests.
Effects of a Forcible or Nonforcible Sexual Offense Conviction on Federal Student Aid
If you were convicted of a sex crime, and you are subject to involuntary civil commitment, you will be ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
Schedule a Free Consultation with The Draskovich Law Group
A conviction could severely impact your future schooling and employment plans. At The Draskovich Law Group, we work hard to prevent that from happening. Our attorneys have over 25 years of combined legal experience, and we know how to build an effective defense to get charges reduced or dismissed.
Speak with one of our attorneys by calling us at (702) 381-6590 or contacting us online.