Can I prevent having my education background checked when I submit to a new-hire background check?
Yes and no. Since there is no central clearinghouse for education like there is for crime, if you don’t tell the employer that you did time at a college, they won’t know. Alternatively, the employer may require that you provide a complete educational background, so failure to do that may result in no job. On the third hand, under FERPA (family educational rights and privacy act) the college will not release your grades without your specific say so, like requesting a transcript. The fact that you attended, and or got a degree, may be public information – so if they call the college the Registrar’s office will only admit that you were a student. To make absolutely sure, call the Registrar where you went, and ask what they will release and won’t release.
