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DegreeVerify — Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What Is The Status Of My DegreeVerify Request?

  2. The Student Claims Another Degree From The Same School, Can You Verify That?

  3. How Do I Obtain Attendance Dates For A Degree I Already Verified?

  4. I’ve Gotten More Information On The Student, How Do I Resubmit My Request?

  5. What Do I Do If I Forget My Login Or Password?

  6. Can I Verify The Exact Date Of Graduation?

  7. How Does DegreeVerify Work?

  8. Why Should I Verify an Applicant's Degree?

  9. How Do I Use DegreeVerify?

  10. What Information Is Available Through Transaction History?

  11. Why Don't I Always Get An Instant Verification?

  12. Can I Add My Own Tracking Number To A Verification Request?

  13. Why Do I Need To Fax A Copy Of The Student's Consent?

  14. Is The Clearinghouse A "Primary Source" For Education Verifications?

  15. Is The Clearinghouse Governed By Any Federal Regulations?

  16. Is The Clearinghouse Approved For Credential Verifications By the Joint Commission?

  17. Does The National Committee For Quality Assurance(NCQA) Accept Verifications Performed By An Agent, Like The Clearinghouse?

  18. What Are Diploma Mills & How Can I Learn More About Them?

  19. What Do The Different Degree Title Abbreviations Mean?

  20. What Is Your Discrepancy Resolution Process?

  21. What Are The Most Common Reasons A Discrepancy Occurs?

  22. How Do I Inquire About A Discrepancy In The Information Provided By The School?

  23. What Happens If The Clearinghouse And The School Cannot Resolve The Discrepancy?

  24. Do You Have A Refund Policy?

  25. These FAQs Did Not Answer My Question, What Should I Do?

1. What Is The Status Of My DegreeVerify Request?
To check the status of an outstanding verification request, log on to www.degreeverify.org, click the "Transaction/Billing History" tab, and enter the transaction ID of your request (other query options are also available). If the status is "Pending -- School Research," be assured that we are working with the school to obtain the verification as quickly as possible. The results will be sent to the email address you provided when you submitted your request. Older degree records may require additional research time in order to retrieve archived information.

(If you forget your user ID and password, see "What Do I Do If I Forget My Login Or Password?".)

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2. The Student Claims Another Degree From The Same School, Can You Verify That?
Yes. You can submit a request to verify a second degree within seven calendar days after your original request was completed. 

To verify an additional degree, just click the "Verify Another Degree For This Person" button at the top of the degree verification response page. (You can also access this option through "Transaction/Billing History.")

If you received an email verification of your original degree request, you can click a link within the email to submit an additional degree verification request. 

Information that you already submitted, such as the person's name and the name of his or her school, is retained. All you need to enter is the title and award year of the second degree. The additional degree request  will be sent electronically to the school for research and you will receive the results via email.

If the "Verify Another Degree For This Person"  button does not appear on the transaction detail page of your original request, please email the degree title(s) and award date(s), along with the original DegreeVerify Transaction ID, to degreeverify@studentclearinghouse.org. We will research your request with the school offline and email the results to you.


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3. How Do I Obtain Attendance Dates For A Degree I Already Verified?
Log on to www.degreeverify.org, click the "Transaction/Billing History" tab, and enter the transaction ID of your request. If the attendance dates were provided as part of the verification response, they will appear under the "Information Verified" section. If additional attendance information was provided, it will appear on the "Enrollment History" tab at the top of the page. If the attendance dates were not provided, email the transaction ID of your request along with the exact dates claimed by the student to degreeverify@studentclearinghouse.org. We will research your request with the school and email the results to you.

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4. I’ve Gotten More Information On The Student, How Do I Resubmit My Request?
If your verification request has already been completed and the result was "Unable to Confirm," then you will need to resubmit your request, using the additional information on the student, as a new verification at www.degreeverify.org.

If your verification request is still in a "pending" status, please email the additional information, along with the transaction ID, to degreeverify@studentclearinghouse.org. A DegreeVerify representative will review the information and determine the next course of action.

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5. What Do I Do If I Forget My Login Or Password?
On the DegreeVerify login page, click the "Forgot your password or user ID?" link (circled in yellow below) to have your password and/or user ID emailed to you.

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6. Can I Verify The Exact Date Of Graduation?
It depends on how the school maintains the information. Many schools only maintain the month and year of the degree award date, particularly for older degree records. If your verification response only contains the month and year, then that is the format the school uses to maintain degree award dates and it should be considered complete information.

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7. How Does DegreeVerify Work?
Schools participating in DegreeVerify provide the Clearinghouse with electronic copies of their historical degree and attendance records, as well as periodic updates. Employers and their agents request academic records at www.degreeverify.org, entering personal information about the subject of their search (e.g., subject's name, Social Security number, birth date, etc.). The Clearinghouse uses this information to find the exact subject in question and provide the requestor with an immediate verification of the subject's academic credentials.

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8. Why Should I Verify an Applicant's Degree?
Degree fraud is a serious and costly problem for employers. DegreeVerify provides organizations with an inexpensive and immediate way to verify an individual's education credentials. Visit our "Why Verify?" page for more information on the importance of verifying degrees.

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9. How Do I Use DegreeVerify?
Verifications can be obtained for a nominal fee at www.degreeverify.org via major credit card or a DegreeVerify account. Requestors can verify as many degrees as they want from as many institutions as they want in a single session.

  • If you are a first-time credit card user, you will be required to agree to DegreeVerify's terms and conditions before using the service. You will then be directed to create a personal profile, including a user ID and password that you can use to login to DegreeVerify going forward. Each time you return to DegreeVerify, you will be asked to review your personal profile and, if required, update it before submitting your verification requests. If you like, you can opt to save your credit card information for future requests.

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10. What Information Is Available Through Transaction History?
Transaction History shows when each request was submitted and completed, the current status, and each verification's fee. If you have a DegreeVerify account, you can view all requests made by each individual user at your organization. Additionally, you can use the monthly transaction summaries to reconcile your credit card statement or quarterly invoice.

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11. Why Don't I Always Get An Instant Verification?
The record you requested may predate the school's electronic records, you may have entered incorrect information, or the applicant may have falsified his or her credentials. If DegreeVerify cannot instantly verify your request, you will be asked to provide additional information (e.g., birth date, year or approximate year of degree, etc.) and your research request will be immediately sent to the school. Schools prioritize verification requests from the Clearinghouse. You will receive an email with the verification results. Remember, the more identifying information that you can provide about the subject and his or her academic achievements, the faster the school can track down the applicable records or confirm a case of credentials fraud.

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12. Can I Add My Own Tracking Number To A Verification Request?
Yes. You can enter your own alphanumeric case or billing id (which will appear on your verification results) for your organization's internal tracking purposes in the "Your Case ID/Billing Reference" box. This option is located under "OPTIONAL INFORMATION" at the bottom of the verification request form.

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13. Why Do I Need To Fax A Copy Of The Student's Consent?
In accordance with DegreeVerify’s terms and conditions, you must obtain the student’s signed and dated consent before submitting an online verification. In some cases, schools will not research their records for the student’s information until they see the signed consent. As the school’s agent, the Clearinghouse may require you to fax a copy of the student’s consent to us. Upon receipt of our request, you must fax a copy of the signed consent to us within two (2) business days. If we do not receive the faxed consent from you within two business days, your request will be closed without verification.

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14. Is The Clearinghouse A "Primary Source" For Education Verifications?
Yes. As the authorized legal representative of its participating educational institutions, the Clearinghouse is considered a primary source for degree and enrollment data. This allows the Clearinghouse to supply student data to the US Department of Education, state student loan guaranty agencies, and organizations performing verifications for professional licensing and credentialing. The Clearinghouse confirms the degree and enrollment records provided by schools to requestors without additions or changes. To comply with Department of Education requirements, the Clearinghouse is subject to an annual audit by an independent accounting firm, which it has never failed.

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15. Is The Clearinghouse Governed By Any Federal Regulations?
The Clearinghouse complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects students' privacy and confidentiality rights in their education records.

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16. Is The Clearinghouse Approved For Credential Verifications By the Joint Commission?
Yes. The Joint Commission has approved the Clearinghouse to serve as an agent for colleges and universities participating in DegreeVerify, enabling them to use us as a primary source for academic credential verification.

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17. Does The National Committee For Quality Assurance (NCQA) Accept Verifications Performed By An Agent, Like The Clearinghouse?
You can verify credentials through an agent as outlined in CR 1: Credentialing Policies Standard to provide requested credentialing information. The Clearinghouse has a contractual relationship with each school that participates in DegreeVerify, appointing it as the school's agent for the purpose of verifying degree information.

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18. What Are Diploma Mills & How Can I Learn More About Them?
Diploma mills are entities that sells fraudulent educational credentials. For more information, including ways you determine if an educational institution is actually a diploma mill, see our diploma mills FAQs.

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19. What Do The Different Degree Title Abbreviations Mean?

A.A. - Associate of Arts Ch.E. - Chemical Engineer M.Aero.E. - Master of Aeronautical Engineering 
A.S. - Associate of Science  D.A. - Doctor of Arts  M.B.A. - Master of Business Administration 
A.A.A. - Associate of Applied Arts D.A.S. - Doctor of Applied Science  M.C.S. - Master of Computer Science 
A.A.S. - Associate of Applied Science D.B.A. - Doctor of Business Administration  M.D. - Doctor of Medicine 
A.B. - Bachelor of Arts D.C. - Doctor of Chiropractic  M.Div. - Master of Divinity 
A.D.N. - Associate in Nursing  D.D. - Doctor of Divinity  M.E. - Master of Engineering 
A.M. - Master of Arts  D.Ed. - Doctor of Education  M.Ed. - Master of Education 
A.M.T. - Master of Arts in Teaching  D.L.S. - Doctor of Library Science  M.Eng. - Master of Engineering 
B.A. - Bachelor of Arts  D.M.D. - Doctor of Dental Medicine  M.F.A. - Master of Fine Arts 
B.A.M. - Bachelor of Applied Mathematics  D.M.S. - Doctor of Medical Science  M.H.A. - Master of Hospital Administration 
B.Arch. - Bachelor of Architecture  D.P.A. - Doctor of Public Administration  M.L.S. - Master of Library Science 
B.B.A. - Bachelor of Business Administration  D.P.H. - Doctor of Public Health  M.Mus. Master of Music 
B.C.E. - Bachelor of Civil Engineering  D.R.E. - Doctor of Religious Education  M.N. - Master of Nursing 
B.Ch.E - Bachelor of Chemical Engineering D.S.W. - Doctor of Social Welfare or Doctor of Social Work  M.P.A. - Master of Public Administration 
B.E.D. - Bachelor of Education D.Sc. - Doctor of Science  M.S. - Master of Science 
B.E.E. - Bachelor of Electrical Engineering  D.V.M. - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine  M.S.Ed. - Master of Science in Education
B.F.A. Bachelor of Fine Arts  Ed.D. - Doctor of Education  M.S.W. - Master of Social Work 
B.J. - Bachelor of Journalism  Ed.S. - Education Specialist  M.Th. - Master of Theology 
B.Lit. - Bachelor of Literature  E.E. - Electrical Engineer  Nuc.E. - Nuclear Engineer 
B.M. - Bachelor of Music E.M. - Engineer of Mines  O.D. - Doctor of Optometry 
B.M.S. - Bachelor of Marine Science  E.Met. - Engineer of Metallurgy  Pharm.D. - Doctor of Pharmacy 
B.N. - Bachelor of Nursing  I.E. - Industrial Engineer or Industrial Engineering  Ph.B. - Bachelor of Philosophy 
B.Pharm. - Bachelor of Pharmacy  J.D. - Doctor of Laws  Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy 
B.S. - Bachelor of Science J.S.D. - Doctor of Juristic Science  S.B. - Bachelor of Science 
B.S.B.A. - Bachelor of Science in Business Administration  L.H.D. - Doctor of Humane Letters  Sc.D. - Doctor of Science 
B.S.Ed. - Bachelor of Science in Education  Litt.B. - Bachelor of Letters  S.J.D. - Doctor of Juridical Science or Doctor of the Science of Law 
B.S.E.E. - Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering  Litt.M. - Master of Letters  S.Sc.D. - Doctor of Social Science 
B.S.N. - Bachelor of Science in Nursing LL.B. - Bachelor of Laws  Th.B. - Bachelor of Theology 
B.S.N.S. - Business Studies LL.D. - Doctor of Laws  Th.D. - Doctor of Theology 
B.S.P. - Bachelor of Professional Studies LL.M. - Master of Laws  Th.M. - Master of Theology
C.E. - Civil Engineer  M.A. - Master of Arts 

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20. What Is Your Discrepancy Resolution Process?
We work directly with the source of the data, the school, to resolve any discrepancy in a timely matter. When notified that there is a discrepancy, a Clearinghouse representative will contact the school directly for clarification or further research, depending on the type of discrepancy.

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21. What Are The Most Common Reasons A Discrepancy Occurs?
Most DegreeVerify requests are confirmed instantly without issue. A discrepancy, which can be caused for several reasons including incorrect or incomplete information, does not necessarily mean a degree was not awarded. When a degree isn't verified, it's due to one of the following reasons:

  • Record requested may predate the school's electronic records
  • Incorrect information was entered when the request was submitted 
  • Student has a privacy block on the record 
  • School has placed a hold on the record 
  • School did not send us the record 
  • Student did not attend and/or graduate from the school

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22. How Do I Inquire About A Discrepancy In The Information Provided By The School?
If you believe there is a discrepancy in the information confirmed by the school, you or the subject should submit any information and/or documentation supporting your claim, along with the transaction ID, to degreeverify@studentclearinghouse.org. We will work with the school to resolve any discrepancy and contact you with the school's findings.

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23. What Happens If The Clearinghouse And The School Cannot Resolve The Discrepancy?
When all research options have been exhausted and a degree still cannot be verified, we ask the requestor to have the student contact the school directly.

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24. Do You Have A Refund Policy?
Refunds are reviewed on a case by case basis. Please submit your request in writing to degreeverify@studentclearinghouse.org.

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25. These FAQs Did Not Answer My Question, What Should I Do?
If you have a question that is not answered by these FAQs, email us at degreeverify@studentclearinghouse.org.

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