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Privacy & Security

National Student Clearinghouse is trusted and secure
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. We embrace the education community’s Student Data Principles and have signed the Student Privacy Pledge. 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. We embrace the education community’s Student Data Principles and have signed the Student Privacy Pledge. 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

National Student Clearinghouse is trusted and secure

Student Privacy Pledge 2020 Signatory

Signer of the Student Privacy Pledge

As a signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge, sponsored by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and The Future of Privacy Forum, the Clearinghouse has pledged to safeguard student privacy by agreeing to a set of commitments related to the collection, maintenance, and use of student personal information.

Student Data Principles Official Supporter

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.

Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act iKeepSafe

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.

iKeepSafe California Student Privacy Certified

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.

AICPA’s Trust Services Principals

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.

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.

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