Privacy & Security
The National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit formed in 1993, is the trusted source for and leading provider of higher education verifications and electronic education record exchanges. All our services facilitate compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects students’ privacy rights in their education records and we embrace the education community’s Student Data Principles. We proudly earn Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) certifications. Education partners throughout the nation trust the Clearinghouse because they know we take our commitment to student privacy very seriously.
> Read our TERMS OF USE & PRIVACY POLICY & NOTICE
The National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit formed in 1993, is the trusted source for and leading provider of higher education verifications and electronic education record exchanges. All our services facilitate compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects students’ privacy rights in their education records and we embrace the education community’s Student Data Principles. We proudly earn Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) certifications. Education partners throughout the nation trust the Clearinghouse because they know we take our commitment to student privacy very seriously.
> Read our TERMS OF USE & PRIVACY POLICY & NOTICE
Student Data Principles Supporter
The Clearinghouse is an official supporter of the Student Data Principles, which represent a landmark effort by major national education associations and others to guide the use and protection of student information. Supporters agree to abide by 10 shared principles to guide their data policies and practices and ensure that student information is protected and used to support students.
Complies with AICPA’s Trust Services Principals
Through its SOC 3 report, the Clearinghouse demonstrates how it meets the controls related to the Trust Services Principals, as defined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA): security, availability, processing integrity, and confidentiality.
Recipient of iKeepSafe’s FERPA Badge
The Clearinghouse is the first recipient of ikeepsafe.org’s FERPA badge, which was awarded to our StudentTracker for High Schools service and the National Student Clearinghouse Transcript Center. iKeepSafe, the leading digital safety and privacy nonprofit organization, requires companies participating in its FERPA assessment to undergo rigorous annual evaluation of their privacy policies and practices, data security, and encryption practices.
Recipient of iKeepSafe’s California Student Privacy Badge
The Clearinghouse was awarded iKeepSafe’s California Student Privacy Badge for its StudentTracker for High Schools service and the National Student Clearinghouse Transcript Center. iKeepSafe’s California Student Privacy Badge is the first independent assessment program specifically tailored to emerging student data privacy legislation, including the Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA).
OnCon Icon Top 50 Information Security Team Award
The Clearinghouse’s Cybersecurity team was selected as a Top 50 Information Security Team as part of the esteemed OnCon Icon Awards, which celebrate outstanding achievements of top organizations and teams worldwide. This prestigious recognition is determined through peer and community voting, which recognizes teams that have made a significant impact and reflects our Cybersecurity team’s dedication to excellence, innovative practices, and leadership within cybersecurity that has made them a top-performing team.
How We Work with Verification Requestors
The Clearinghouse requires all verification requestors to 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 (unless the requestor is a background screening firm releasing data to their employer client).
The Clearinghouse only releases information that confirms an individual’s degrees and academic credentials. We do not confirm addresses or the accuracy of Social Security numbers provided by requestors. To further ensure security and privacy, we maintain an audit trail of requestors’ identities, including Internet Protocol Addresses (IP address) and telephone numbers.