Previous Posts
July Schedule of Live Webinars
Check out the live webinars available from the Clearinghouse Academy in July 2026
Make the Right Moves: Your Guide to FVT/GE Reporting
The final Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) reporting period begins July 1st, and the National Student Clearinghouse has resources to support you throughout the process.
Spring 2026 Enrollment Trends: Undergraduate Growth Continues as Graduate Enrollment Levels Off
Spring 2026 postsecondary enrollment rose 1.0% to 18.6 million students, according to the Final Spring Enrollment Trends report. The increase was driven by a 1.3% increase in undergraduate enrollment at public institutions, especially community colleges and certificate programs. Graduate enrollment remained flat with a slight decline in master’s programs and a drop in international graduate students. Computer science enrollment continued to fall, while health professions and engineering posted strong gains, signaling a continued shift toward workforce-aligned fields and practical educational pathways.
Supporting Student Success Beyond Graduation Day
With convenient student-facing services — from transcript to verification services — the Clearinghouse can help the Class of 2026 put their credentials to use quickly and efficiently.
Who’s Really Applying to Your College?
Many high school students are announcing college decisions, but the growing issue of ghost student fraud threatens the integrity of enrollment and financial aid distribution. The Clearinghouse’s new Sentinel 360SM platform helps colleges detect suspicious enrollment patterns early ─ before aid is disbursed ─ by analyzing data across its national network of institutions.
Data Dive: Degree Earners Are Building on Prior Credentials
More students are pursuing flexible, nonlinear paths through higher education by building on earlier credentials, returning to school, and changing fields of study, according to the latest Undergraduate Degree Earners report. Associate degrees remain the most common stepping stone to a bachelor’s degree, while certificate holders often continue on to associate programs. The findings also show that major changes are common, especially in STEM, as learners adapt their education to evolving career goals and opportunities.
Simplify Transcript Orders with Third-Party Ordering for Ed Orgs
Educational organizations can play a critical role in helping learners move forward, and yet one persistent challenge remains: obtaining official transcripts quickly and securely. That’s why the National Student Clearinghouse developed Third-Party Ordering for Educational Organizations.
June Schedule of Live Webinars
Check out the live webinars available from the Clearinghouse Academy in June 2026
Streamlining High School Verifications Through the Clearinghouse
The DiplomaVerify network has over 9,000 participating high schools with participation in 47 states. These unique and extensive connections with secondary institutions nationwide have helped make the Clearinghouse a trusted source for educational verifications for employers.
Data Dive: Dual Enrollment’s Positive Impact on Higher Education
Dual enrollment is linked to stronger higher education outcomes. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Tracking Transfer report shows that students who enter community college with dual enrollment experience are more likely to persist, transfer to four-year institutions, and ultimately complete a bachelor’s degree.
New Sentinel 360 Service Helps Colleges Get Ahead of “Ghost Student” Fraud
The Clearinghouse’s new Sentinel 360SM platform helps colleges combat rapidly growing “ghost student” fraud that drains financial aid and institutional resources. Sentinel 360 gives institutions the broader visibility they need to understand what is happening beyond their own campus and help protect their reputation, integrity and, most importantly, opportunities for learners.
Undergraduate Degree Attainment Grows as More Students Accelerate Their Path to a Bachelor’s
The latest Undergraduate Degree Earners report finds 3.4 million learners earned undergraduate credentials in 2024–25, up 3.2% from the prior year, driven by faster, more flexible pathways. More students are completing credentials earlier, often through dual enrollment before finishing high school. “Stacking” awards is rising, with many earning an associate degree before a bachelor’s and maintaining momentum toward workforce goals.
May Schedule of Live Webinars
Check out the live webinars available from the Clearinghouse Academy in May 2026
Let’s Connect at AACRAO 2026
Visit the National Student Clearinghouse in booth #207 at the AACRAO Annual Meeting in New Orleans on April 19-22. And join us for our sessions, including a look at our new and innovative solution for proactively detecting suspicious enrollment and a discussion on the transfer and completion insights revealed in two of our latest research reports.
See How the Clearinghouse Makes Transcripts Easy at Ellucian Live
Stop by the Clearinghouse booth #119 at Ellucian Live in Denver on April 19-22 to talk to us about our time-savings transcript and data exchange services and other ways we can help you and your students. Plus, enter to win a pair of Ray-Ban® Meta (Gen 2) sunglasses! And don’t miss our sessions on how Ellucian eTranscripts can revolutionize your transcript management and drive efficiency and student success and our ETX Plus Solution Showcase.
Grant from Ascendium Helps Advance Clearinghouse Research
Having resources through grants gives the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center the capacity to invest in strong methodology, thoughtful analysis, and effective dissemination. A new grant from Ascendium’s Education Philanthropy is helping the Research Center broaden its work to better understand and elevate the experiences of students from low‑income communities.
April Schedule of Live Webinars
Check out the live webinars available from the Clearinghouse Academy in April 2026
Fewer than One in Five Students Who Began at Community Colleges Earned a Bachelor’s Degree Within Six Years
Community colleges serve as a key entry point to higher education, yet fewer than one in five students who start at community colleges earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Tracking Transfer report provides detailed insights into the transfer pathways and degree completion outcomes of community college students from the 2018 cohort.
Prepare for Medicaid Verifications with Trusted Education Data
The National Student Clearinghouse can help state agencies, and educational organizations meet the new Medicaid requirements by providing education data.
Faster Transcript Ordering for Scholarship Funds
Scholarship deadlines come and go quickly, leaving hardly any time for your scholarship fund to wait for students to send their transcripts. The National Student Clearinghouse has an easier and faster solution for ordering students’ transcripts — Third-Party Ordering for Ed Orgs.