Motlow State Community College confirmed that an email mistake last week could put the personal information of hundreds of college students at risk.
The college said it accidentally released names, social security numbers, dates of birth and even financial aid information of hundreds of students who were taking part in the Tennessee Promise scholarship at Motlow.
College president Anthony Kinkel said in a statement Monday evening that the release happened in an attempt to alert Motlow faculty and staff of students who had not completed their required community service to remain eligible for the Tennessee Promise scholarship.
While the email was intended to allow staff to remind particular students of the deadline, the attached names also included the personal information of those students.
According to emails obtained by NewsChannel 5, the sensitive information was sent to at least 554 Motlow staff members. Kinkel said it was sent to all staff and faculty.
After realizing its mistake, a Motlow College auditor sent out an email to the recipients the next day, asking them to delete the email.
In the statement released Monday, Motlow officials said college employees could be fired if they spread information to others.
The college has recommended students to monitor their credit report, and possibly place a fraud alert on their credit history.
