Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations

The information and table below is provided through 20 U.S. Code § 1091.Student eligibility.

(r) Suspension of Eligibility For Drug-Related Offenses

(1) In General

A student who is convicted of any offense under any Federal or State law involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance for conduct that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving any grant, loan, or work assistance under this subchapter shall not be eligible to receive any grant, loan, or work assistance under this subchapter from the date of that conviction for the period of time specified in the following table:

If convicted of an offense involving:

Offense Number Ineligibility period is
The possession of a controlled substance
First offense 1 year
Second offense 2 years
Third offense Indefinite
The sale of a controlled substance
First offense 2 years
Second offense Indefinite

For further information view Federal Student Aid's page on drug convictions and aid eligibility.