The Obama administration is calling on colleges and universities to reconsider whether to ask applicants about their criminal histories, the White House announced on Friday.
Twenty-five higher-education institutions across the United States have signed on to the program, called the Fair Chance Higher Education Pledge, as of Friday, the White House said.
The announcement represents the administration’s latest effort to lower barriers to higher education for people with criminal records. Last month the U.S. Department of Education released a report, “Beyond the Box,” with evidence that questions about criminal history on college applications can discourage prospective students from completing the application process, even though a criminal history often does not mean an automatic rejection.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/white-house-urges-colleges-to-rethink-asking-applicants-about-criminal-history/112096