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Background Checks - Columbus State University

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College of Education and Health Professions

Background Checks

Background Checks for Courses Before Admission to Teacher Education

When taking a course with field experience, you are required to obtain a $5.00 background check through the Columbus State University Police Department. To obtain a background check, please follow the process below:

  • Pay for the background check online. If you need to pay in person, you can go to the Office of Student Accounts office in University Hall and pay your $5.00. After purchase, you will receive a receipt by email that you can provide to University Police so they can process the background check for you.
  • Take the receipt to the University Police Office on main campus and complete the background check form. You may wait for the background check to process. The normal wait time is 15 minutes. Background checks are processed Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

This background check is valid for two years or until you are ready to be admitted to the Teacher Education program.

Important: Campus Police does not send the background checks to the CQTL office. You will need to email your completed background check along with your 909# to Mrs. Abbey McMillan or bring it to the CQTL office in Frank Brown Hall, Room 1064.

Background Check for Admission to the Teacher Education Program

All students seeking admission to the Teacher Education program must pass a Fingerprint Background Check prior to beginning program coursework. You may not participate in required field experiences until your background check has cleared. To complete the background check, an applicant must submit fingerprints for review by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Scheduling an Appointment

A Fingerprint Background Check will be by appointment only. To make an appointment, applicants are required to call (706) 568-2022, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Background checks will only process Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (subject to change).

The fingerprinting Live Scan is located on main campus at the University Police Department.

Fees

All applicants must pay the Fingerprint Background Check fee directly to the Office of Student Accounts
located in University Hall (Main Campus). The total cost for this process is $55.00. The following
forms of payment are accepted:

  • Credit card/debit card
  • Cash
  • Money order

Proper Identification

To process the federal background check, applicants are required to provide unexpired proper
identification. Acceptable ID requirements: Photo, Name, Address, and Date of Birth. A proper ID is
any one of the following:

  • An unexpired driver's license issued by a U.S. state; Washington D.C.; or certain U.S. territories
  • An unexpired United States passport or passport card
  • An unexpired United States military identification card
  • If applicant has an alien/green card, applicant will need to provide their alien/green card
  • number

Steps for Completing a Background Check

  1. Schedule a fingerprinting appointment at (706) 568-2022
  2. Pay the required fee directly to the Office of Student Accounts (University Hall, Main Campus)
  3. Bring receipt from the Office of Student Accounts and unexpired proper ID to the fingerprinting appointment located at the Main Campus Columbus State University Police Department

Background Check Results

Within 5 to 7 business days, the Columbus State University Police Department will forward background check results to the applicant. It is the responsibility of the applicant to forward the results to the designated department/person. If the applicant has not receive their background check results, they will need to contact Ms. Debby Mayo, Administrative Coordinator, at (706) 568-2022. Please note by law, the COEHP CQTL Office cannot release copies of background checks.

Please note: If you are a graduate student, taking fully on-line courses and you cannot come to Columbus to complete your Federal Background check, you may use this service if you choose to do so.

Background Check for Student Teaching

When applying to student teach, a $5.00 background check through Columbus State University Police Department is required as part of your application. Follow the instructions for background checks before admission to Teacher Education.

Note: This background check will be turned in to Ms. Fuller when you come in for your student teaching appointment.

Ask Cody

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