How will a felony controlled sub.charge affect college?

Question

I have been on medication since teen life.I've had alot of injuries and pain to get through.I've been off all that and I'm trying to go to college to earn a degree in a field I can handle with my health limitations.I've resently signed up for fall sem. and lied when asked about a controlled sub conviction(4- .5mg Xanex's) it's the only one in my life and is over 10 years ago.Trying to find grants or some help for tuition has been very hard.That Question keeps bieng asked.How can i get the funding I need so that I can get on with my life I know my past will haunt me but that does not mean I cant overcome it.I just don't know how

Answer 1

i will continue to check your answers. i too am a convicted felon w/ drug charges and i have been told that i won't be eligible for f.a. because of that.... it's like if i can't financial aid there's no way i will get a pell grant or anything similar from the gov. i can't afford a private loan and all i want is to take up journalism at community. I am very creative, but i will always be labeleda FELON. they might as well sentenced me to death.

Answer 2

Lying on your financial aid application is a huge issue.  When you signed the application you were verifying that the information given was true and, "If you purposely give false or misleading information, you may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both."  

When you answer 'yes' to the drug question you are then required to fill out a separate form.  You can find a copy of the form at http://www.ifap.ed.gov/fafsa/attachments...  Look it over and see if you would have been eligible for aid.  Either way, I suggest you answer the questions truthfully...lying won't get you ahead, and it could come back to haunt you down the road.

Answer 3

Hmm...you're getting bad info from somewhere, at least as far as federal financial aid is concerned.

Here's the rule, exactly as it is explained in the official financial aid guidelines:

"A federal or state drug conviction can disqualify a student for FSA funds....

Convictions only count if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving Title IV aid—they do not count if the offense was not during such a period. Also, a conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from the student’s record does not count, nor does one received when she was a juvenile, unless she was tried as an adult."

However - there is this separate provision:

"Drug abuse hold

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 includes

provisions that authorize federal and state judges to deny certain federal benefits, including student aid, to persons convicted of drug trafficking or possession."

And finally there is this:

The school is not required to verify your self-reported answer to question 31 on the FAFSA (about drug convictions) - however, if there is "conflicting information", the school IS required to confirm this information. If you intentionally omitted this info on your FAFSA, you didn't do yourself any favors, because the conviction would not have counted against you (unless you were already receiving financial aid at the time of your offense and conviction).

Even if you'd had been in that situation, the maximum financial aid "bar" was 1 year for a first possession offense, and 2 years for a first distribution offense. For a second offense it is 2 years for possession and an indefinite period for distribution. All "indefinite" eligibility periods can only be cleared by completing a "qualified" rehabilitation program.

If you need a rehab program, you must check with your financial aid advisor, because there are very strict rules with regard to whether a particular program qualifies.

So - unless there's more information that you didn't mention in your question, a 10-year old drug conviction that resulted from an offense that took place during a time period in which you were not receiving federal financial aid is not a bar to receiving federal aid today.

If your school is continuing to request information about this issue, it may be that they have information that conflicts with your failure to acknowledge this conviction. In that case, they must resolve the discrepancy before you can be eligible to receive financial aid. It might be time to update your FAFSA and correct any misstatements or omissions that you may have made.

I hope that helps.

Answer 4

Oooh that is not good. They don't want to give you grant money if you deal with illegal drugs (as you know). Um can you look into getting your record sealed? You say its been 10 years I think you can do it if you have a low felony record. I don't know I think it changes from state to state.  I know F4 &F5 can be sealed. Also you should looking in the Foundation Center and see if they can give you any information about grants for felons. I know they have them out there you just have to dig for them. It's funny because a lot of places will hire a felon with a drug conviction but they won't hire other types of felons. Oh well good luck.