College Students & Mugshots: Protecting Scholarships and Future Careers

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The High Stakes of a Mugshot in College

A college student’s reputation is everything. A single mugshot online can derail:

• Academic standing
• Scholarships or grants
• Internship or graduate school opportunities
• Future employment prospects

Even if charges are dropped, arrest photos often remain online—easily accessible through Google or people-search databases.

Colleges may enforce code of conduct policies based on reputation or conduct rather than legal guilt. Mugshots can trigger disciplinary hearings even when no conviction occurs.

How Mugshots Impact Financial Aid & Scholarships

Many scholarship programs consider character and disciplinary records. An online mugshot can:

• Cause loss of need-based or merit-based aid
• Violate terms of private foundation grants
• Affect Title IV federal aid eligibility if it results in a drug conviction

Common scholarship clauses affected by arrests:

• “Good moral character” requirements
• “No disciplinary history” stipulations
• Review boards that conduct online background checks

Source: Federal Student Aid Handbook

Even if aid isn’t immediately withdrawn, renewal decisions may be impacted by negative online visibility.

How Mugshots Affect Graduate School and Internships

Most graduate programs—especially in law, medicine, and education—conduct character reviews or third-party background checks.

Graduate Admissions Red Flags:

• Mugshots appearing in search engine results
• Arrest records showing up on background checks
• School codes of conduct breaches

Professional internships in business, tech, or politics may reject applicants whose online presence suggests reputational risk.

Why Mugshots Stay Online Even After Charges Are Dropped

1. Mugshots are considered public records in most states
2. Aggregator websites collect and republish them
3. Google indexes the pages with your name
4. They remain visible even after expungement or dismissal

Mugshot sites optimize content for SEO:

URL: /john-smith-mugshot
Title Tag: John Smith Arrest Record | Anytown, USA
Image ALT: Mugshot of John Smith

Unless proactive steps are taken, these listings may persist for years.

Mugshot Removal for Students: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Search for Your Mugshot

Use:

"Your Full Name" + mugshot OR arrest

Check:

• Google
• Bing
• Google Images
• Page 1–3 of search results

Step 2: Confirm Eligibility for Removal

You likely qualify if:

• Charges were dropped
• You completed diversion or probation without conviction
• The record was expunged or sealed

Step 3: Request Removal from Mugshot Sites

Find contact pages on aggregator sites (e.g., mugshots.zone, bustednewspaper).

Send a takedown request:

To Whom It May Concern,

I request immediate removal of the mugshot posted at [URL]. The charges related to this arrest have been dismissed, and I’ve attached a copy of the relevant court documents.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Include:

• Government ID (redact sensitive info)
• Court order or expungement certificate

Step 4: Remove the Listing from Google Search

If the page has been deleted but still appears in search:

Use the Remove Outdated Content Tool

For active listings: Use the Google Removal Tool

• Select: “Remove information you see in Google Search”
• Attach documentation

SEO Suppression for College Students

If the mugshot cannot be removed, bury it with optimized content.

Build Your Online Presence:

• Register a domain name: yourfullname.com
• Publish a blog with academic content or student leadership updates
• Create a professional LinkedIn profile with a custom URL

Other platforms to use:

• Medium (publish essays or reflections)
• YouTube (student vlogs, presentations)
• Substack (student newsletter)
• Crunchbase (if involved in startups or student-led ventures)

Optimization Tips:

• Use your full name in the title tag, H1, and image ALT text
• Link all your profiles to your website
• Post at least once per month to maintain relevance

Suppression is a long-term strategy that ensures your mugshot is buried beyond page three.

State-Specific Mugshot Removal Laws Students Should Know

Source: NCSL Expungement Law Map

What College Conduct Boards See in Background Checks

While colleges don’t always perform full background checks for admissions, they may for:

• On-campus employment
• Residence hall applications
• Student leadership roles

Student affairs offices may monitor public complaints or online allegations, especially when:

• A mugshot is widely circulated
• There are campus safety concerns
• A student athlete or scholarship recipient is involved

Consequences of Ignoring a Mugshot Online

• Future employers find the mugshot during pre-hire screening
• Internship recruiters reject based on Google results
• Campus administrators flag your name for conduct review
• Social stigma impacts dating, housing, or club participation

Proactive removal or suppression reduces the risk of long-term damage to academic and career success.

Why Students Turn to Remove Arrest

Remove Arrest specializes in helping students remove mugshots and manage online reputation.

We help with:

• Legal takedown requests to mugshot sites
• De-indexing mugshots from Google
• Reputation recovery through content marketing
• Long-term monitoring and privacy protection

Request your free student-specific removal plan today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

MLA Citations:

“Student Conduct and Code Enforcement.” National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, www.naspa.org.

“Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records Statutes.” National Conference of State Legislatures, www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/expungement-and-sealing-of-criminal-records-statutes.aspx.

“Federal Student Aid Handbook.” U.S. Department of Education, fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/fsa-handbook.

“Remove Personal Information from Google.” Google Search Help, support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/3111061.

“Remove Outdated Content.” Google Search Console, search.google.com/search-console/remove-outdated-content.