Underage drinking is a crime. However, people do not necessarily treat this offense as a major concern. Especially once young adults finish high school and enroll in college, people may assume that drinking at a college party isn’t really an issue.
Almost half of underage college students admit to consuming alcohol despite the law. College parties can provide easy access to alcohol. Friends and family members might even supply minors with alcohol. Yet, getting caught while in possession of alcohol or under the influence could have major implications for a college student.
What are the potential consequences?
The exact consequences college students might face for experimenting with alcohol depend on the circumstances. There are different penalties for minor in possession offenses as opposed to drunk driving offenses. That being said, fines, incarceration and driver’s license suspensions are among the most common penalties imposed by the courts.
College students are at risk of educational consequences, even if they avoid a sentence of incarceration that forces them to miss class. On-campus discipline may follow a criminal conviction.
College students could be at risk of having their enrollment terminated. The disciplinary board hearing their case could put them on academic probation. They could face penalties that include exclusion from extracurricular activities, including sports and honors programs. They could lose their school-based financial aid.
Private scholarship organizations also frequently refuse to provide awards to those with criminal convictions on their records or to renew aid provided to those who commit a crime while enrolled. The record of the offense can also have a chilling effect on a student’s career development for years after they are old enough to legally drink.
Parents of college students accused of breaking the law may need to help them as they respond to their criminal charges. A thorough criminal defense strategy can help college students avoid convictions that could forever change their lives.
