National Coalition to Protect Student Privacy

ASVAB Testing in the Catholic Schools

The ASVAB is used as a recruiting tool in more than 200 Catholic high schools across the country. See the data here. The 4 hour test is given by military recruiting services to gain sensitive, personal information on more than 10,000 Catholic high school students across the country every year, the vast majority of whom are under the age of 18. Students typically are given the test at school without parental knowledge or consent.

In Catholic high schools throughout the country, the ASVAB is promoted without revealing its primary function as a recruitment tool. Catholic school officials encourage students to take the test that many claim assists students in matching their abilities with certain career paths. Pentagon data released through a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests reveal that 17 Catholic high schools require students to take the test even though DOD regulations prohibit DoD personnel from suggesting to school officials that the test be made mandatory.
Actually, the number of Catholic Schools that give the test and require students to take the ASVAB is much higher. Simply google (ASVAB Catholic "All Juniors") and compare the data to the information released by USMEPCOM.

According to statistics taken from the USMEPCOM data, just 20.4% of the students taking the ASVAB in Catholic Schools had Option 8 selected for them. We call on the US Catholic Conference of Bishops to mandate the universal selection of Option 8 in all schools where the ASVAB is given. At this writing, neither the USCCB nor the National Catholic Education Association have responded to our letters informing them of the issue and requesting the universal selection of ASVAB Option 8.

There are also hundreds of independent "Christian" schools that also allow the military to administer the ASVAB without protecting student privacy.





		ASVAB Testing in the Catholic Schools The ASVAB is used as a recruiting tool in more than 200 Catholic high schools across the country. See the data here. The 4 hour test is given by military recruiting services to gain sensitive, personal information on more than 10,000 Catholic high school students across the country every year, the vast majority of whom are under the age of 18. Students typically are given the test at school without parental knowledge or consent. In Catholic high schools throughout the country, the ASVAB is promoted without revealing its primary function as a recruitment tool. Catholic school officials encourage students to take the test that many claim assists students in matching their abilities with certain career paths. Pentagon data released through a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests reveal that 17 Catholic high schools require students to take the test even though DOD regulations prohibit DoD personnel from suggesting to school officials that the test be made mandatory. Actually, the number of Catholic Schools that give the test and require students to take the ASVAB is much higher. Simply google (ASVAB Catholic "All Juniors") and compare the data to the information released by USMEPCOM. According to statistics taken from the USMEPCOM data, just 20.4% of the students taking the ASVAB in Catholic Schools had Option 8 selected for them. We call on the US Catholic Conference of Bishops to mandate the universal selection of Option 8 in all schools where the ASVAB is given. At this writing, neither the USCCB nor the National Catholic Education Association have responded to our letters informing them of the issue and requesting the universal selection of ASVAB Option 8. There are also hundreds of independent "Christian" schools that also allow the military to administer the ASVAB without protecting student privacy.