Drug Convictions

According to federal law, a student who has been convicted of the sale or possession of illegal drugs under any federal or state law during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving financial aid (grant, loans, and/or work-study) is not eligible for federal student aid. A conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from the student's record does not count, nor does one received when the student was a minor, unless the student was tried as an adult.

If a student is convicted of an offense involving:

Possession of illegal drugs Sale of illegal drugs
1st offense 1 year from date of conviction 2 years from date of conviction
2nd offense 2 years from date of conviction Indefinite period
3+ offenses Indefinite period

If the student was convicted of both possessing and selling illegal drugs and the period of ineligibility are different, the student will be ineligible for a longer period of time.

A student regains eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or when he successfully completes a qualified drug rehabilitation program. Further drug convictions will make him ineligible again.

For more information, please review FAFSA's Student Eligibility Worksheet