Yes, this is still a thing. David Winter reports for WKRC about how the College Board and others still make money selling private student information.
Despite laws prohibiting the sale of children’s personal information, students continue to receive unsolicited offers, raising concerns about data privacy.
Local 12’s David Winter, also a parent, discovered the issue when his 15-year-old son began receiving college pamphlets addressed directly to him after he took the PSAT, a college entrance exam.
“We don’t know for sure how Ball State, Robert Morris University, and Kent State got my son’s info, but the mail came in right after he took the PSAT,” said Winter.
The exam is administered by the College Board, a non-profit organization that also oversees the SAT and Advanced Placement exams.
Local 12 asked Leonie Haimson, co-founder and co-chair of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, “How is this information getting sold?”
“Many organizations such as the College Board sell student data, including student test scores, without parental consent and make many millions of dollars a year off the sale of this data,” said Haimson.
The College Board’s 2022 tax return showed revenue exceeding a billion dollars, with $106 million attributed to its “college and career opportunities and enrollment” services. These services claim to connect students with colleges and scholarships, offering access to credit programs and planning tools.
When asked if it was selling student data, a College Board spokesperson stated via email, “We do not sell student information.” However, when presented with a sales document listing data types available for purchase, the spokesperson acknowledged that the College Board does “provide higher education members access to information if students opt-in.”
