Does the College Board Keep Your Financial Aid Information Forever? (Spoiler Alert: Probably Not)
So, you’re applying to college, and you’re drowning in a sea of forms, applications, and financial aid requirements. You’re filling out the CSS Profile and the FAFSA, and you’re wondering, “Does the College Board keep all this sensitive financial information forever? Will they be using it to buy me a fancy sports car someday?”
Well, hold your horses, future college student. The answer to your burning question is a bit more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Let’s break it down.
The College Board’s Data Retention Policy: A Love-Hate Relationship
First things first, the College Board is a non-profit organization – yes, really, they’re not just in it for the money. They claim they use your information for “legitimate educational purposes” and to “provide services to you or your educational institution.” They even go so far as to assure us they use “secure methods to delete or destroy personally identifiable information.” But let’s be real, “secure methods” could mean anything from shredding documents to sending your information into the digital abyss.
Can I Find My SAT Scores From 30 Years Ago? (Yes, But It’ll Cost You)
Now, if you’re looking for those dusty old SAT scores from your high school days, you can actually get them. For a modest fee of $31 (and a hefty dose of nostalgia), the College Board will gladly dig them up from their archives. So, if you’re planning on sending your kids to college and want to show them how much smarter you were back in the day, you can definitely impress them with your vintage test scores. Just don’t expect to be bragging about those perfect scores if you’re applying for a job – unless it’s at a museum.
What Does the College Board Do With Your Information? (The “Legitimate Educational Purposes” Mystery)
The College Board claims they use your information to “maintain, develop, support, improve, and diagnose College Board products, services, and applications.” In other words, they’re constantly working to make their services better, which is commendable. But “diagnose” sounds a little alarming, doesn’t it? Does that mean they’re sending your information to a team of data scientists who are trying to predict your future career path? Or maybe they’re just trying to figure out why their website is so slow. Only the College Board knows for sure.
The College Board and Data Sharing: It’s Not All Sunshine and Roses
Speaking of data sharing, the College Board has a history of getting into trouble for sharing student information. In 2023, they agreed to pay a $750,000 settlement to the New York State attorney general’s office for illegally sharing and selling student data collected through their exams. This incident made it clear that the College Board needs to be more transparent about how they handle student data. Let’s just say, data privacy is not their strong suit.
What About Financial Aid? Does the College Board Keep Your CSS Profile Forever?
Now, let’s get back to the heart of the matter: financial aid. It’s important to understand that the College Board’s role in financial aid is primarily through the CSS Profile, which is a separate application from the FAFSA. While the CSS Profile asks for financial information, it’s not directly used to determine your federal financial aid eligibility. That’s what the FAFSA is for.
The FAFSA and CSS Profile: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
Think of it this way: the FAFSA is like a standard issue credit card, while the CSS Profile is more like a fancy platinum card. The FAFSA is required for federal financial aid, while the CSS Profile is used by participating colleges for their own need-based financial aid programs. They both collect your financial data, but they serve different purposes.
Does the College Board Delete Your Financial Information?
So, the question remains: does the College Board keep your CSS Profile information forever? The honest answer is that we don’t know for sure. They’re not very forthcoming about their data retention policies. However, we can make some educated guesses based on what we know.
- The FAFSA: A Year-to-Year Affair
The FAFSA is reset every year, so the information you submit for one academic year is not automatically carried over to the next. That means you’ll need to re-submit your information every year, which is a good thing for data privacy.
- The CSS Profile: A Bit More Complex
The CSS Profile doesn’t have the same year-to-year reset as the FAFSA. However, it’s likely that colleges use the information for a specific academic year and then archive it. It’s also possible that the College Board deletes information after a certain period of time.
The Bottom Line: It’s a Mystery
The bottom line is that the College Board’s data retention policies are not exactly transparent. It’s safe to assume that they retain your information for a certain period, but it’s not clear how long that period is or what they do with your data after that.
What You Can Do to Protect Your Information
- Be Mindful of the Information You Provide: Don’t provide more information than you need to. If you’re not comfortable providing certain information, you can try to find alternative solutions.
- Check Your Privacy Settings: Make sure you understand what information the College Board is collecting and how they are using it. Adjust your privacy settings accordingly.
- Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date on any changes to the College Board’s data retention policies.
The Takeaway: Don’t Worry Too Much, But Don’t Be Naive
While it’s important to be aware of the College Board’s data retention practices, don’t let it completely stress you out. They’re not likely to be selling your financial information on the black market. However, it’s always a good idea to be cautious and protect your personal information.
Need More Help?
If you have any more questions about the College Board, financial aid, or anything else related to college admissions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the JobLoving community. We’re here to help you navigate the often-confusing world of college applications.