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Welcome to the Higher Education section of FindLaw's Education Center, with articles and resources to help you understand your rights and get the most out of your college years. This section covers legal and practical issues pertaining to student loans, financial aid, and the basics of for-profit schools; how the law intersects with college sports, including discrimination and drug testing; the rights and responsibilities of students and teachers, including sexual assault and underage drinking; and issues related to life after college, such as applying to graduate school. Also included are articles about the rights of LGBT students, the meaning of sexual consent, whether college athletes may unionize, the facts about private student loans, and more.

Paying for College

Determining how you're going to pay for a college or university education is often more difficult than getting accepted by the admissions office. Tuitions have increased exponentially, outpacing wage growth, making it very difficult for students to afford a post-secondary education. This is compounded by the increased competition among schools within a globalized society. Those who are not fortunate enough to afford college often seek scholarships and need-based financial aid, but not everyone qualifies for those types of assistance and must take out student loans instead.

While private student loans are available from a number of financial institutions, most are offered by the federal government. The main types of federal student loans include Perkins loans, Stafford loans, GradPLUS loans, and PLUS loans for parents. Consolidation loans also are available to help students combine multiple loans into one monthly payment.

College Athletes and the Law

Federal and state laws, as well as administrative regulations, govern certain aspects of college athletics. For instance, Title IX of the Civil Rights Act was intended to bring parity to college programs that had historically limited opportunities for women. The code states that no one may be excluded from any education program (or from receiving federal financial) on the basis of gender, which includes athletic programs. The practical affects of this law include the requirement that colleges and universities receiving federal funding (the majority of them) must provide separate teams for women and separate (but equivalent) athletic facilities.

When it comes to criminal activity, college athletes are subject to the same consequences as non-athletes but also face disciplinary action by the athletic department. And even though the criminal justice system assumes the accused is innocent until proven guilty, college athletes charged with crimes often are suspended until their case is adjudicated.

Students and Teachers: Rights and Responsibilities

College life brings its own unique legal challenges and situations, such as hazing at fraternities; affirmative action; tenure and free speech of professors; and the ability to challenge one's academic grades. Other issues, such as sexual assault and underage drinking, are not unique to college campuses but tend to be more prevalent.

The issue of sexual consent is addressed in most university student handbooks, with specific rules for what constitutes "affirmative consent," without which is generally considered sexual assault. California has even codified rules for how colleges and universities within its borders handle cases of sexual assault. This is compounded by the prevalence of alcohol consumption on college campuses, which often renders individuals incapable of giving consent in the first place.

Life After College

After you graduate from college, you still may have some related issues to deal with. For instance, you may decide to apply for graduate school and need some pointers on what legal issues may come into play. Also, some of those who have taken out student loans to pay for college may want to look into Public Service Loan Forgiveness or other ways to get a handle on student debt.

Click on a link below for a wide variety of articles and resources pertaining to higher education.

Recent Topics

  • Affirmative Action and College Admissions
    Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors.

    Affirmative action laws were put in place to help level the playing field for groups that may have been unfairly rejected from colleges and universities in the past. Learn more about how these laws are implemented here.

  • What Happens When College Athletes Break the Law?
    Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors.

    When college athletes break the law they could face both criminal law penalties as well as consequences from the school they attend. This article covers how colleges investigate and penalize player misconduct and more.

  • College Sexual Consent Laws
    Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors.

    The federal government along with a number of state governments have enacted laws to help prevent sexual assault on college campuses. This article explains college sexual consent laws and how they interact with university policies.

  • College Sports and the Law

    Welcome to the College Sports and the Law section of FindLaw's Education Law Center, with legal and practical information on the rules and regulations affecting college sports and student athletes. As with other aspects of post-secondary education, s...

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    Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors.

    College and high school student athletes are sometimes subjected to drug tests. But what are the laws governing when and under what circumstances a student athlete can be tested? Read this article to find out.

  • Life After College: Work and School

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    Getting accepted into a college or university is a proud achievement, the validation of years of hard work in high school. However, paying for college is a whole other challenge. Even when students get accepted into prestigious universities, they can...

  • Private Loans: Another Way to Pay for College
    Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors.

    While federal loans are often preferable, private loans are necessary in certain circumstances. Learn about when private loans might be a good option, the consequences of defaulting on a private loan, and more.

  • Student and Teacher Rights and Responsibilities

    Even if you are well-versed in your rights and responsibilities as a member of society, there are certain rights and responsibilities that are unique to college life. For instance, a growing body of law addresses the concerns of hazing by fraternitie...

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    This article offers an overview of how student loans working, including a discussion of the difference between private and federal loans, a look at the different types of federal loans, and more.

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