Data Matching Best Practices
At its core, DegreeVerify is designed to match data efficiently and accurately. But getting the right data matched depends on the requestor. Because of student data privacy regulations, the Clearinghouse can’t add missing information to a request. Thus, the information you provide is key.
Our top piece of advice for getting the most out of DegreeVerify? Fill in as much information as possible when you submit a search request. Incomplete requests are more likely to face verification delays.
4 tips to help you get verifications back as quickly as possible:
1. Use correct school name
Some schools have similar names, and many state schools have multiple campuses. Make sure you get the complete college name from the student or alumnus during the interview process.
2. Include date of birth and Social Security number
This data is immensely helpful in finding the right information from a university. Requests that don’t include the date of birth are 16 percent more likely to require research by the college or university, and requests that don’t include the Social Security number are 36 percent more likely to require research. Avoid research delays by making sure to include this information.
3. Add AKA names
Some students or alumni may have changed their names since college. Asking each applicant to provide the name that the student record will be under will make sure that you are able to find the right student record. You can include more than one potential name using the “AKA Name” field.
4. Choose the right request type
In addition to providing the most complete student information possible, it’s important to choose the right request type. Here’s how to choose:
Did the student attend college but not complete a degree? Choose the “Dates of Attendance Verification” request type.
This request type searches our database for a student’s dates of attendance only. If you know the student has completed some college, this request type will allow you to receive faster results. We do not search degree records with this request type – only enrollment records.
Did the student complete a degree? Choose the “Degree Verification” request.
This request type searches our database for degree records. You should choose this type of request if you’re looking to verify that a student received a college degree.
Again, follow these four tips to get verifications back as quickly as possible!
Our top piece of advice for getting the most out of DegreeVerify? Fill in as much information as possible when you submit a search request.
