Criminal Background Checks For College Applicants

Criminal Background Checks Screen College Applicants

More than half of American colleges and universities are using criminal background checks to screen applicants, potentially affecting college aid and tax credits.

Nathalie Baptiste | December 23, 2015

The usual college application includes SAT scores, high school transcripts, and essays, but many high school students may not realize that more than half of colleges also use another, more secretive form of screening: a criminal background check.
A full 66 percent of colleges and universities conduct background checks as part of the admissions process, according to a December report titled, “Removing Barriers to Opportunity for Parents With Criminal Records and Their Children,” released by the Center for American Progress.

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/as-arrest-records-rise-americans-find-consequences-can-last-a-lifetime-1408415402

<more at http://prospect.org/article/criminal-background-checks-screen-college-applicants; http://www.bestvalueschools.com/faq/can-i-go-to-college-if-i-have-a-criminal-record/ (Can I Go to College If I Have a Criminal Record?) and http://college.usatoday.com/2015/03/20/whats-the-verdict-students-weigh-in-on-criminal-record-questions-on-college-applications/ (What's the verdict? Students weigh in on criminal record questions on college applications. March 20. 2015) and http://www.wsj.com/articles/as-arrest-records-rise-americans-find-consequences-can-last-a-lifetime-1408415402 (As Arrest Records Rise, Americans Find Consequences Can Last a Lifetime. Even if Charges Were Dropped, a Lingering Arrest Record Can Ruin Chances of a Job. August 18, 2014)>