Along with helping your teenager prepare for the SAT test, there is another step you can take to help your child be admitted to the college of his or her choice. If you have not already taken steps to seal your child's California juvenile court records, this should be done as soon as possible. Leaving these records unsealed can prevent college admission and some drug offenses can prevent a student from receiving federal financial aid. But these problems can often be prevented.
According to the Center for Community Alternatives, a majority (66%) of the colleges that responded to questions acknowledged that they collect criminal justice information from prospective students seeking admission, although not all of them consider this information in their admissions process. This group also found that private schools and four-year schools are more likely to collect and use this information than public and two-year colleges and universities.
Furthermore, prospective college applicants should know that all students who apply for federal financial aid are asked about whether they have any prior drug conviction, misdemeanor or felony, and if they do, they are not eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government.
That is why all college-bound students who have a juvenile record and have turned 18 years old, or five years have passed since a juvenile disposition occurred, should find out if they are eligible to have their juvenile court records sealed. Once the juvenile court records are sealed, the young person is no longer required to report the conviction on most applications. (See Welf. & Inst. Code, § 781, subd.(a).)
If the student does not first seek to have prior juvenile court records sealed before applying to colleges and universities, it is possible that a prior criminal record could prevent admission to higher education or cause the young person to be placed on probation if admitted. Also, as indicated above, if any misdemeanor or felony drug offense is discovered on a student’s criminal record, all federal financial aid will be denied. This includes loans and grants.
Young people who want to have juvenile court records sealed can contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in their local area. Also, some California Public Defender offices perform this service free of charge. Anyone seeking more information on this topic should visit the California Supreme Court’s website under Sealing Juvenile Records. http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-delinquency.htmThis site lists where young people can go to obtain help to seal their records for free or at a reduced cost.
If you have a case in the Los Angeles metro area, and would like me to recommend an experienced criminal defense attorney to get a juvenile court record sealed, you can contact me at esserlaw@gmail.com .
copyright © 2015 Christine Esser
The information contained here is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. Online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Information on this blog is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship between you and Christine Esser. An attorney- client relationship is only established when a written retainer has been signed
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