For many young people, getting an education is incredibly important. It sets the stage for their future. It may open specific doors to careers that they have been considering. For instance, someone who wants to become a nurse simply cannot do so without the right education and licensing.
However, young people may find themselves facing very serious criminal charges. Will a record stop them from getting that education in the future?
It may make it more difficult
You are certainly not prohibited from getting an education if you find yourself in this situation. Once you have served your time or paid any financial fines, you are free to apply to colleges, and there are even options for financial aid. No law states that those with a criminal history are not allowed to attend college.
That being said, many colleges are very competitive. Someone who has a criminal record may have a much lower chance of being accepted. If the college gets so many applications that they are already turning away thousands of applicants who don’t have a record, they may quickly stop considering anyone who does.
Again, this doesn’t mean that there are no other options. You may want to consider going to community college and then transferring. You may simply want to apply to more colleges to increase your chances of finding one that will accept you.
But this does also show how a criminal conviction can have a major impact on your life moving forward, even after all of the immediate penalties have been fulfilled. This is just part of the reason why you need to know about all of your defense options.