For college applicants with a criminal record, "checking the box" can be a barrier to education

AI Briefing

• – Almost every college in the US asks about criminal history on applications, but the practice can be a barrier to education for formerly incarcerated people.
• – A 2015 study found that 60% of undergraduate students with criminal histories stopped filling out applications when they encountered the question.
• – The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reversed its decision to deny Mike Pierce's graduate school application after he provided additional information, but the process can be discouraging for applicants.