Impact of Criminal Records

State law (Minnesota Statutes 135A.157) requires all postsecondary educational institutions located in Minnesota to provide notice to all students at or before the time of admission and at or before the time a major is selected, informing them that arrests, charges or convictions for criminal offenses may limit employment possibilities in specific careers or affect a student’s eligibility for federal, state or other financial aid.

The purpose of this notice is not to discourage students with previous violations from pursuing postsecondary education or applying for financial aid, but to encourage students to investigate any possible negative effects on financial aid eligibility and employment before they begin a particular field of study. We encourage all students to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). However, students with previous arrests, charges or convictions should investigate any possible impacts on financial aid eligibility.

With respect to future employment possibilities in your field of study, we encourage you to review https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609B/full for state laws regarding the effects of previous violations on future employment in Minnesota. Since there may be other fields affected by previous violations that are not included on this page, or you may end up working in another state, it is your responsibility to research the impact of previous violations on your chosen field of study by contacting a private attorney, professional association of licensing board. We also encourage you to contact the college’s program director or department chair for your selected field of study on campus for additional information regarding what impact, if any, previous violations may have on employment possibilities in that field.