The information could be used against students applying for admission and financial aid.

Inside Higher Ed reports.

Ending the FAFSA List

The U.S. Department of Education plans to end its longstanding practice of giving colleges certain student information that some institutions may use against students as they apply for admission and financial aid.

Starting next year, the department will no longer provide colleges the entire list of institutions that a student submits when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA.

The federal government currently grants colleges access to that information, including the order in which students list the colleges where they are interested in applying.

Some college admissions offices and enrollment management consultants have found that information to be valuable because they can glean students’ relative interest in enrolling at different colleges — and essentially, in some cases, use that information against the students’ interests.