
Best Practices and Reminders to Help You Maintain Compliance
How We Keep You Informed
The Clearinghouse actively monitors newsfeeds, including NASFAA, AACRAO, and FSA, for the latest updates on compliance requirements, new FSA announcements, and upcoming changes. As soon as we become aware of pertinent changes that impact our institutions, we immediately engage the compliance response team at the Clearinghouse to evaluate how the new changes should be addressed. The team assesses the impacts on our customers, systems, business functions, and additional services. Once the evaluation is complete, we provide transparent communications to our customers. Our goal in our communications is to be timely, informative, proactive and transparent.
Compliance Numbers You Should Know
Months
SSCRs should be completed at least every two months
Days
SSCRs are returned within 15 days of receipt
Days
SSCR errors should be corrected within 10 days of receipt
Days
Status changes should be reported within 60 days from the date of determination
%
Or Better
Enrollment Reporting Statistics score must be 90% or better
Use Our Checklist to Get Ready for Fall
Submitting your student enrollment and degree files to the Clearinghouse on schedule, along with the timely correction of errors, is the best way for you to stay in compliance with federal law. It also ensures that your students continue to receive federal financial aid. The checklist below will also help you stay in compliance.
1. Review and update your Clearinghouse contacts.
It’s important to keep your contacts up-to-date so we can reach the appropriate person whenever questions or issues arise. Your institution’s Clearinghouse user administrator can view and edit your contacts to ensure the list is current, all contact information is accurate, and roles (e.g., registrar, financial aid director or submission data) are assigned to the right people. For help, watch our short tutorials on viewing school users, managing school users, and adding a user
2. Know who gets your submission reminder emails.
The Clearinghouse sends reminder emails before your submission is due and if it’s late. The people on your contact list who have the roles listed below will receive the following email:
Type of Email | When Sent | Who Receives |
---|---|---|
1st late reminder | 4 days before your scheduled submission is due | Submission Data, Submission Data Alternate |
2nd late reminder | 7 days after the 1st late reminder email | Submission Data, Submission Data Alternate, Relationship Executive, Financial Aid Director |
Subsequent late reminder | Every 7 days after the 2nd late reminder email, until your file is submitted | Submission Data, Submission Data Alternate, Relationship Executive, Financial Aid Director |
3. Submit error corrections as soon as possible.
Each time you upload a file to the Clearinghouse, it is checked for errors. If any are found, an error report is posted for your school’s review. You should review this file and respond as soon as possible. Your data is not loaded into our system, shared with NSLDS and loan servicers, or made available for verification until you have resolved the issues identified. The Submission Data or Submission Data Alternate contacts at your school can make error corrections. Watch our tutorial on viewing your error report. Other tutorials related to error correction are available on our Clearinghouse Academy site.
4. Use our free training resources.
Our Clearinghouse Academy site offers training resources for your new staff members and those who need refresher or cross training in how to use Clearinghouse services.
Know Your NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Score
Each month, NSLDS calculates a score based upon the data it accepts through the NSLDS enrollment roster reporting (aka SSCR) process and displays it on this page. Any institution with a score below the acceptable 90 percent threshold of “Percent Certified with Program Enrollment” is subject to receiving a letter from FSA. Here’s where you can learn more:
- Our NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Statistics Page FAQs on key summary-level information about the data fields and calculations
- Our “Important Information about Your NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Score” blog post
- Our “Things to Keep Your NSLDS Score Above 90%” infographic
Follow These Compliance Best Practices
- Report every month.
- Resolve Error Resolution on the Web reports promptly. Be sure to address any items flagged for your review.
- Review details of your enrollment files to ensure students are reported with appropriate program information.
- Report graduates at campus AND program levels (as appropriate) as soon as degree audits are completed.
- Continue to report graduates until all have been awarded.
- Resolve your SSCR Errors via the Clearinghouse Secure Site within eight days.
- Review your Enrollment Reporting Statistics page on NSLDS,
- Report changes made to students in NSLDS to the Clearinghouse.
Compliance Reminders
Note: Below information in Compliance Reminders section is specific to schools that are active with the Clearinghouse’s G from Degree process (also known as G from DV).
- Graduated enrollment status is NOT generated from campus-level degree submissions for students who remain enrolled after graduation.
- Currently, graduated enrollment statuses are NOT generated for students who are reported on a degree file with a degree award date that occurs more than 120 days after the student’s last reported enrollment date.
- If the degree record does not include the correct CIP code, a graduated enrollment status is NOT appended at the campus and program levels on the student’s enrollment history.
- Maintain frequent and open communication between the Registrar’s Office and the Financial Aid Office.
- Make sure policies are update-to-date.
- Ensure all pertinent parties are aware of policy changes.
- Be prepared for your audit.
For schools that do not utilize G from Degree, you must report all Graduated statuses for completed program to NSC via enrollment reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
For compliance reporting purposes, what is applicable for students who are on an Approved Leave of Absence (“A” enrollment status code)?
For compliance reporting purposes, what is the date of determination used for the “Approved Leave of Absence” (enrollment status code “A,” commonly known as “Approved LOA”) status?
Is compliance for retroactive status changes determined by the status change effective date or the certification date?
When a status change is discovered after it has occurred, compliance is determined based on the date your institution identifies the status change (“date of determination”). The applicable regulatory references are §682.605 and §668.22(b) or (c).
A student did not tell me that he or she wasn‘t returning in the fall and wasn’t enrolled for the summer term. The student just didn’t show up when the fall semester started. Is the student’s withdrawal status start date effective the end of the spring semester? Is this a compliance issue?
There are students in my sample who were not enrolled during the summer and did not attend in the fall, but their withdrawal wasn’t sent to NSLDS until after the fall term started. These records appear to be out of compliance. How do I evaluate the timeliness of these records?
Follow the guidance in the NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide, which explains that:
“Students are considered to be in school and continuously enrolled during academic year holiday and vacation periods, as well as during the summer between academic years (even if not enrolled in a summer session) as long as there is reason to believe that they intend to enroll for the next regularly scheduled term. For example, students should not be reported as “Withdrawn” at the end of the spring term if they are expected to re-enroll for the fall term. If they do not return as expected, the status must be changed to “Withdrawn” within 30 days of that determination, or within 30 days of the start of the new term, whichever occurs first, with an effective date of the last date of attendance.”
The Clearinghouse helps schools determine which students did not return for the next regularly scheduled term by generating withdrawals based on the school’s First-of-Term transmission. We compare your First-of-Term file for the new term to the last file for the previous term to identify missing students. Once missing students are identified, we generate a “Withdrawal” status on their record, which is effective on each student’s last reported date of attendance. Evaluating compliance for these records falls within the guidance contained in the paragraph above from the NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide and federal regulation(s) 682.610/685.309. We also recommend you review the date of determination regulation, 682.605.
Resources
Clearinghouse Academy Courses
- Federal Financial Aid Enrollment Compliance Reporting
- Enrollment Reporting: An Introduction
- Enrollment Reporting: File Submission
- Enrollment Reporting: File Submission (En español)
PDFs
- “Things That Can Keep You Above NSLDS’s 90% Threshold” infographic
- Deferment Form Checklist
- Early Registration vs. Advanced Registration: How to Get the Most Out of Both
- G from DV FAQs
- G from Degree: DegreeVerify vs. Enrollment Reporting Records
- How to Report a Student as Graduated at the Campus or Program Level
- NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Statistics Page FAQs
Help
Articles
FSA Test Email Sent In Error to Some Schools
This post is for schools that received an FSA email on 4/25/23, with the subject line, “Important Alert – Enrollment Reporting Compliance – First Notice.”
Update: Federal Compliance Audit and NSLDS Roster Process
FSA has issued revised federal guidance for audit procedures and an update on the NSLDS Roster process.
Update: Enrollment Status Reporting to NSLDS
Read our latest update on enrollment status reporting to NSLDS.
New NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide Released, Reflecting NSLDS Site Modernization
FSA has released a new NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide, which reflects the NSLDS site modernization.
Update: Enrollment Status Reporting to NSLDS Restored
FSA and NSLDS confirmed that the supplemental file submission solution is complete and enrollment status updates flowed to NSLDS in chronological order by the certification date.
FSA Releases Changes to Its Guidance for the Return of Title IV Funds Related to Withdrawn Status
Here’s what you should know about the changes that FSA recently released to its guidance on the Return of Title IV Funds guidance related to withdrawn status.
New NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide Released
FSA has released a new NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide.
Phase I of Clearinghouse’s CIP 2020 Enhancement Released
Learn about the release of Phase 1 of the Clearinghouse’s 2020 CIP Code enhancement.
Audit Peak Season Is Here: How to Find the Answers You Need
Resources to help answer your compliance and audit-related questions.
Update to CIP Year 2020 Requirements
Read the key takeaways from the April 30, 2020, announcement from FSA and NSLDS on their new requirements for the 2020 Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) Code reporting.
Summer Enrollment Reporting Reminder: Non-Compulsory Term Reporting
Important information on reporting enrollment for non-compulsory terms, like summer.
2020 CIP Codes Update
On March 18, FSA published an update on the implementation of the 2020 CIP codes within Federal Student Aid systems. The Clearinghouse provides vital information on how it relates to your enrollment and compliance reporting with us.
Guidance for Reporting Enrollment Data Impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
On March 5, FSA released guidance on how to address the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on postsecondary institutions and their students. The Clearinghouse has consolidated the guidance, as it relates to your Clearinghouse enrollment and compliance reporting.
Lingering Rejected Enrollment Records? Use “Reject Detail” to Take Control and Reduce Compliance and Audit Risk!
Regularly using “Reject Detail” can help you avoid audit and loan servicing issues.
Making a List, Checking It Twice…Ensure Your Reporting is Accurate
If your students have changed status throughout the term, it’s important to swiftly report their changes.
2020 CIP Code Changes
The latest update on 2020 CIP Code changes.
New NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide Published, November 2019
FSA has released the November 2019 NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide.
Something Else to Be Thankful for this Holiday Season: Our Enrollment and Compliance Reporting Resources!
Discover the Clearinghouse’s resources on NSLDS compliance reporting available to support you.
Enabling Full-Time Status Start Date Changes within the Same Term
Schools can now send campus-level Status Start Date (SSD) changes for students whose status has been increased to full time from a lower status within the same term.
Autumn Is the Only Fall You Want This Year!
Make sure you monitor your NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Statistics Score each month and use our resources to stay in compliance.
FSA Releases College Scorecard Update
FSA’s recent update to the College Scorecard emphasizes the importance of correctly reporting historical program-level data.
New G from DegreeVerify Enhancement Generates Graduated (G) Statuses from College Student IDs
Our new G from DegreeVerify service enhancement will enable schools to generate graduated statuses from college student IDs.
New NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide Published
FSA has released the November 2018 NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide.
UPDATE: Recent Changes to Department of Education NSLDS Enrollment Roster/SSCR Reporting Logic
Read our follow up to our June 2018 communications regarding recent FSA changes to the manner in which data is ingested through the NSLDS Enrollment Roster response process.
Error Code 75 Updates Regarding Recent Changes to NSLDS Enrollment Roster/SSCR Reporting Logic
Read our NSLDS Error Code 75 updates related to FSA’s recent changes regarding how data is ingested through the NSLDS Roster response process.
Recent Changes to Department of Education NSLDS Enrollment Roster/SSCR Reporting Logic
Learn about FSA’s recent changes regarding how data is ingested through the NSLDS Roster response process.
Understanding How Early Registration and Advanced Registration Data Differ
Our new resource explains how early registration and advanced registration data differ and other important things you should know.
The Five Key Benefits of Working with the National Student Clearinghouse
In our new tutorial, learn why so many institutions work with the Clearinghouse.
New Editable G from DV: Even Better Transparency!
The new Editable G from DV enhancement improves transparency by enabling users to apply graduated statuses using a convenient hyperlink navigation.
How to Report a Student as Graduated at the Campus or Program Level
A look at the options for reporting the graduated status of students at the campus and/or program level.