5 Things You May Not Know About the National Student Clearinghouse

Aug 13, 2019 | Education Verification Resources

These days, there are many data companies out there. The National Student Clearinghouse, however, is unlike any of them. Here are five things you may not know about the Clearinghouse.

1. We are a nonprofit organization

Have you ever heard of that old saying, “A penny saved is a penny earned?” For 26 years, the National Student Clearinghouse has saved our partner institutions a lot of pennies! Our education partners TRUST the Clearinghouse and realize substantial savings and productivity gains through redeployment of administrative resources. Our voluntary data services enable more than $750 million in annual savings.

Thus, when you purchase verification services from the Clearinghouse, you’re helping to support education nationwide.

2. Our data comes directly from colleges and universities

The Clearinghouse’s data is primary source information that we get directly from colleges and universities across the country. Schools provide this information at their discretion and are not required to participate. The reason so many schools do participate is because of the significant value our services provide.

3. We are a trusted partner to the higher education community

We are the trusted source and leading provider of educational reporting, data exchange, verification, and research services. No one else has access to the data we have. The Clearinghouse regularly works with educational organizations, including state and local agencies, throughout the country to accurately assess the efforts of K-20 schools and outreach programs in helping students succeed.

The Clearinghouse serves as a single point of contact for the secure collection and exchange of accurate, timely, and comprehensive enrollment, degree, and certificate records. We provide this information on behalf of our more than 3,600 participating higher education institutions, which represent 99 percent of all students enrolled in public and private U.S. institutions.

4. We are a data privacy leader

Our services are designed to facilitate compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and all other applicable laws. All verification requestors must certify that the student or alumnus has applied for employment or a product or service dependent on student or alumni status. Requestors also agree not to rerelease degree data to third parties.

5. We put students first

The Clearinghouse’s verification services are designed to verify student data for employment purposes, as well as to verify enrollment status eligibility for student discounts on products and services. These services grew out of a demand for reliable verification, so students and alumni could more easily secure employment or take advantage of beneficial programs. Our services are designed to make life easier for college students and alumni. As a result, thousands of companies and organizations nationwide depend on the Clearinghouse to take the guesswork out of confirming academic credentials.