Is there a way for colleges to check what schools prospective applicants have already attended?

Question

I went to a university for a semester, did well, then went to a community college for a year and bombed out. In the application to a new university it requires ALL schools attended. Is there a way that they would know about the community college without my disclosure?

Answer 1

Yes, there's a clearinghouse and it pops up in all sorts of ways, most easily if you ever received financial aid. Keep in mind that not listing every school is grounds for dismissal and people have even had completed degrees taken away when their lie was later discovered.