On Monday, the Department released a report, Beyond the Box: Increasing Access to Higher Education for Justice-Involved Individuals, which recommends colleges lower barriers for applicants with prior convictions.

Currently, an estimated two thirds of U.S. colleges and universities ask prospective students if they have a criminal background. The goal, according to those institutions, is to keep campuses safe.

But the Obama administration says those inquiries discourage millions of Americans from even applying to college.

“We believe in second chances and we believe in fairness,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. in a statement, adding that the requirement creates a chilling effect for people of color who have been charged with a disproportionate number of the crimes.

The organization that runs the Common Application is researching whether criminal history has any impact on admissions and the Education Department is encouraging colleges to adopt a new approach that delays such inquiries until an initial decision is made.

[Cross-posted at On Campus: the WGBH News Higher Education Blog]

Kirk Carapezza

Kirk Carapezza is the lead reporter for On Campus. Kirk has reported for Wisconsin Public Radio in Madison, Wis., and Vermont Public Radio in Montpelier, Vt. He's been a writer and producer at WBUR in Boston; a teacher and coach at Nativity Preparatory School in New Bedford, Mass.; a Fenway Park tour guide; and a tourist abroad.

Kirk received his B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and earned his M.S. from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not reporting or editing stories on campus, you can find him posting K's on the Wall at Fenway.