Most colleges do not ask students if they have been involved in a crime. It is not on their list of questions on the application forms. If a student does not bring it up, the question is never asked. Colleges do not routinely do background checks on their students. However, it is becoming a trend to place this type of question on an application form. If the students answer yes, then they are asked to explain the situation in detail and often are asked to substantiate their story with documents. Colleges realize that many small infractions are considered a crime and do not warrant rejecting a student. However, some colleges are becoming intolerant of any crimes because they have had bad experiences on campus and don’t want more. They are choosing to be zero tolerant. State universities are more likely to ask about crime than small, private colleges.

Crimes committed by juveniles are to be sealed but this does not always happen. Our society protects errors in judgment by teenagers and does not want them to suffer in adult life for small mistakes. Keeping names of juveniles out of newspapers protects the child and also spares them from paying a price for something they did not do should it be found later that they are innocent. The majority of newspapers honor this commitment to young children.

Crimes committed when 18 years of age are public knowledge. Small incidents are not a large concern but there is a crime that has serious implications for an 18 year old student. The FAFSA form which is filled out in January of the senior year in high school has the following question. Have you ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs? If you have, answer "Yes," complete and submit this application, and we will send you a worksheet in the mail for you to determine if your conviction affects your eligibility for aid.

Aid in this statement may mean scholarships and loans. This question may not be asked by the colleges, but the federal government is asking. If the conviction fits the criteria, the student may be ineligible for any scholarships. They may also be disqualified for any loans. The FAFSA drives all aid and the colleges abide by the FAFSA report and how much aid can be given to students.

College loans are controlled by the Department of Education. Many federal grants such as the PELL grant are also federal. College scholarships and grants are also linked to the FAFSA and the opportunities can fall quickly like dominos leaving students with few to no options. Once students are determined as ineligible by the FAFSA, they must fund college independently. This is nearly impossible for most students since four years of college can cost from $60,000 to $120,000 and more. The majority of high school students do not realize that a weekend party will not only affect them in the way of legal fees and community service but may affect the rest of their lives.

If there is a minor brush with law enforcement students have options. They can avoid colleges that ask about this topic and apply to the ones that don’t. However, if drugs are involved, the FAFSA will be honored by all colleges and the student will have no other options. The doors to college are open only if they do not need loans, grants and scholarships and if the colleges will admit them with drug related charges.

The only way to avoid this problem completely is to stay away from peers and situations that may destroy chances for an affordable college education. A lifelong opportunity is in the balance.