According to a 2009 study by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, 7 percent of colleges and universities perform criminal background checks on all applicants. A total of 64 percent require applicants to self-disclose any criminal history they may have during the application process. However, only 55 percent of schools make use of the information received, either from a background check or self-disclosure, in admission decisions.
With murders, sexual assaults and other violent crimes on campus making headlines, students and parents have been putting pressure on administrators to put policies in place to reduce criminal activity at institutions of higher learning. Some have advocated mandatory background checks as part of the solution. A number of schools have begun to screen applicants. Some require all prospective students to submit to background checks, while others only require it of those who disclose a conviction or have a history of problems at schools previously attended.
A study by MyBackgroundCheck.com found that one out of 29 college students in the United States has a criminal record. Proponents of background checks believe that knowing the specifics of these convictions could keep those with a propensity toward violence or other criminal activity from being admitted, and therefore keep campuses safer. Merely asking applicants to self-disclose convictions gives them the option to omit information, but requiring a criminal background check will uncover their true criminal histories.
Those opposed to background checks for college students say that they limit access to higher education for those who have made mistakes in the past. Colleges could refuse to admit not only students with a history of violent or sex crimes, but those who have convictions for crimes that do not indicate a potential for violence. It may also be argued that since juvenile records are usually sealed, the usefulness of background checks is limited.