“50-cent Jell-O shots!” “Thursday night – ladies drink for free!” “The biggest Greek party of the year!” There are many excuses underage college women have for using false identification despite the legal consequences.

The latest national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that nearly 48 percent of females age 18 to 20 reported drinking in the past month. So how do they get alcohol if they're not of age?

“I've used a fake ID before to get into a club,” said Benard, a former college student. “My cousin let me use his driver's license.”

Ask almost any college student across the country, and most will tell you that fake IDs are not difficult to obtain. In fact, you can get one almost anywhere. If older friends and family don't offer up their licenses, the Internet and computer technology make obtaining a fake ID as simple as sending in a request and paying a processing fee. Fake ID manufacturers typically charge anywhere from $20 to $500, depending on the quality and complexity of the card.

“Fake IDs are harmless,” said Monique, a third-year university student. “No one I know thinks it's a big deal.”

The truth is it's a bigger deal than most people think. It is illegal to make or own a fake ID, and any person presenting fictitious identification can be written up for “presenting the driver's license of another person.” In some states, like Virginia, the charge is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor - which means that a person could be fined as much as $2,500, lose their driver's license for up to one year and be sentenced to as many as 12 months in jail. In other states, the punishment and charge can be far more severe.

In most states, making fake IDs is considered forgery and a felony. “There are different types of felonies,” explained Officer Jones of the Austin (Texas) Police Department. “The sentence a minor will receive for making fake IDs depends on many factors, like if they actually own manufacturing equipment and how many fake IDs they have sold.”