New York State announced Tuesday that the College Board and the state have reached a $750,000 settlement over the state’s claims that SAT administrators sold students’ personal information.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James and New York State Department of Education (NYSED) Secretary Betty A. Rosa announced the settlement on Tuesday. As part of the agreement, the College Board will pay a $750,000 fine and be prohibited from monetizing New York State student data through contracts with schools and school districts.
New York State alleged that the College Board collected personal information after students took the SAT, PSATS, or AP exams. The state said the College Commission “licensed this data to universities, scholarship programs, and other customers who used this data to solicit students to participate in their programs.”
“Students have enough stress applying to college and they shouldn’t have to worry about their personal information being bought and sold,” James said in a statement. “New York state law requires organizations like the College Board to protect data collected when students take tests at their schools and not sell it to customers for profit. No.”
The announcement said College Board asked students for information through its student search service when they were taking a test or signing up for an online account.
New York State noted that while registering for a student search service that connects students with college and scholarship opportunities is voluntary, students were asked to do so “in the exigent circumstances of a high-stakes exam.”
The personal information included students’ GPA, anticipated course of study, interest in religious activities, and parental income levels, according to the announcement. New York state said an investigation by James’ office later found that the college board had used the data it collected for marketing purposes, but the office maintains that such practices are illegal. It was announced that.
The College Board said in a statement that it disagrees with the “state’s interpretation” of the law at issue here.
“Nonetheless, officials from the New York State Department of Education and the Attorney General’s Office have different legal positions regarding their interpretation of the law, and we fully cooperated with their investigation,” the statement said. ing.
“It is important to note that there is no evidence that the searches harmed students or that any university or scholarship organization misused their information,” the statement continued.
The College Board said in a statement that its student search service “connects millions of New York students with nonprofit colleges and scholarships.”
The organization also added that students who opt-in to search services receive 29% more admissions offers, underrepresented minority students receive 65% more admissions offers, and first-generation students receive 55% more admissions offers. Ta.
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