National Student Clearinghouse blog

August Schedule of Live Webinars

Admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:00:59 GMT

Here’s our lineup of live webinars for August. You can register for one or more of them at the links below.

Visit the events calendar of our Clearinghouse Academy page to learn more about our ongoing webinars and other events. You can check out the on-demand webinars and tutorials on Clearinghouse Academy.

Need help identifying the services and webinars available to you?

In the title, most of our webinars have the service line listed before the focus of the webinar so it’s easy for you to identify what’s relevant to your institution or organization. Research and non-service specific web events, except where noted, are open to anyone interested.

Postsecondary institutions (colleges and universities): Enrollment Reporting, Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP), Reverse Transfer, StudentTracker for Colleges and Universities, Transcript Services, Verification Services

Secondary institutions (high schools, districts, middle schools): Transcript Center*, StudentTracker for High Schools, DiplomaVerify

*Transcript Center is based on state-level agreements and is currently open to schools in Wyoming and Tennessee.

We don’t currently offer live education to workforce or educational organizations. For on-demand resources, see our self-help site.

If you’re uncertain of the services your organization or institution has signed up for, please reach out to the Business Development Executive or Account Manager for your area.

Compliance Corner

Compliance Corner (30 minutes)
Come hang out with us for a relaxed, open-ended conversation — no slides, no formal agenda, and definitely no pressure. We’ll kick things off with a quick 10-minute spotlight on whatever’s top of mind for the team: enhancements, reminders, lessons learned, or anything buzzing in the world of enrollment reporting, compliance, Financial Value Transparency, and Gainful Employment.

After that, it’s your time. Bring your questions and thoughts, or just listen in. Whether you’ve got something specific to ask or just want to hear what others are thinking, we’re here for it.

Tuesday, August 4 at 12 PM, ET
Tuesday, August 18 at 12 PM, ET

Enrollment Reporting

Missed one of our Enrollment Reporting webinars? Join us for an encore presentation. For anyone who submits scheduled enrollment files or makes online Enrollment Reporting updates to the Clearinghouse, including staff members in the registrar, enrollment services, financial aid, institution compliance, and institutional effectiveness (those who work with Title IV student aid compliance) offices of postsecondary institutions.

Enrollment Reporting Part 1: Understanding Submission File Types & Your Transmission Schedule (30 minutes)
We’ll cover the different file types for Enrollment Reporting, how to access your evergreen transmission schedule to check when your next file is due or edit the schedule, and the notifications related to the submission schedule.

Wednesday, August 19 at 2 PM, ET

Audit Resource Center Spotlight: Error Codes 292, 1901, and 1861 (1 hour)
Learn how to stay compliant and audit-ready as you transition from summer to fall! Join the Audit Resource Center as we break down the guidance regarding continuous enrollment reporting and make sense of error codes 292, 1901, and 1861, including how to understand them, resolve them, and avoid them on future files.

Thursday, August 20 at 2 PM, ET

Enrollment Reporting Part 2: The Enrollment File Submission Process (30 minutes)
Join us to learn when to submit Enrollment Reporting files, what students to report, and how to submit your files.

Wednesday, August 26 at 2 PM, ET

Financial Value Transparency & Gainful Employment

FVT/GE: Student and Program Reporting Fundamentals (1 hour)
Join us to review the FVT/GE student level and program level reporting components. We’ll discuss required vs. optional data fields for the 2026 Student Level report and walk through the overall process so you can complete reporting by the October 1, 2026, due date.

Thursday, August 13 at 2 PM, ET REGISTER NOW

FVT/GE Reporting: Common Student and Program Reporting Errors and Best Practices for 2026 (1 hour)
In this webinar, we’ll share tips for file upload success and best practices addressing common errors and warning validations when preparing your Student Level and Program Level reports. Our goal is to help save you time and support a smoother reporting process as you work toward the October 1, 2026, deadline. Join us to learn more and get practical guidance for successful reporting.

Tuesday, August 25 at 12 PM, ET REGISTER NOW

Postsecondary Data Partnership

Early Momentum Matters: Using PDP Data for Summits to Improve Persistence and Completion (38 minutes)
Early academic momentum, which is closely tied to persistence and completion, is part of Elgin Community College’s strategic plan. Tanya Ternes, Senior Director of Data Quality, and the rest of the IR team have used PDP data to make that connection clear across campus. This session examines how Elgin’s IR team used PDP analysis‑ready files to analyze momentum metrics, combine it with other campus data, and share those insights through campus‑wide data summits.

Get Powerful Insights with the Postsecondary Data Partnership (18 minutes)
Join us to learn how your institution’s participation in the Postsecondary Data Partnership can be used to make transformative data-driven decisions around improving outcomes, increasing student success, and addressing gaps. Learn how you can use the dashboards to get answers to your questions.

Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) Key Concepts That Data Submitters Need to Know (15 minutes)
Whether you’re preparing to submit your first PDP files or looking for a clear refresher, this session will equip you with the foundational knowledge you need to confidently participate in the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP). Franc Slapar breaks down the essential concepts that drive successful, accurate submissions. For colleges and universities interested or participating in the Postsecondary Data Partnership.

StudentTracker

Secondary Institutions: StudentTracker Office Hours (30 minutes)
Come hang out with your StudentTracker for High Schools Account Managers for a relaxed office hours with no formal agenda. We’ll kick things off with a quick 10-minute spotlight on whatever’s top of mind: enhancements, reminders, lessons learned, or anything buzzing in the world of secondary schools and postsecondary outcomes. After that, it’s your time. Bring your questions, thoughts, or just listen in. For high schools and districts participating in StudentTracker for High Schools.

Thursday, August 6 at 2 PM, ET
Thursday, August 20 at 11 AM, ET

Getting Started with StudentTracker for High Schools (45 minutes)
Are you wondering about the implementation process for StudentTracker for High Schools? Learn the steps to successfully activate StudentTracker and tips for submitting your graduate files. For high schools and districts who are interested in or implementing StudentTracker for High Schools.

Wednesday, August 19 at 2 PM, ET REGISTER NOW

Leverage StudentTracker Premium Reports (30 minutes)
Are you making the most of the insights available through StudentTracker for Colleges & Universities Premium? In this webinar, we’ll explore the Signature Reports, Snapshot Reports, and Analysis-Ready Reports. You’ll also learn where to find these reports, how to interpret the results, and ways to incorporate the data into your institution’s reporting. For postsecondary institutions active with StudentTracker for Colleges & Universities basic or Premium Service or institutions considering the basic or Premium Service.

Wednesday, August 26 at 2 PM, ET REGISTER NOW

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Undergraduate Credential Attainment Grows as Students Complete Credentials at Younger Ages

Admin — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:00:57 GMT

New report finds that, for the first time, students aged 18 to 20 surpassed those aged 21 to 24 as the largest share of first-time associate degree earners

HERNDON, VA – (APRIL 16, 2026) – More than 3.4 million learners earned undergraduate credentials in the 2024–25 academic year, marking a 3.2% increase from the previous year, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

The Undergraduate Degree Earners report covers undergraduate credentials, including certificates, bachelor’s degrees, and associate degrees. About 2 million learners earned a bachelor’s degree as their highest award, while 865,400 earned an associate degree in 2024-2025. The 579,400 completers who earned an undergraduate certificate represent a decade high for the number of people earning this type of credential as their highest award.

“This year’s increase in undergraduate credential attainment isn’t just about more completions — it’s also about timing,” said Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “More students are earning certificates and degrees earlier and that shift reflects how postsecondary pathways are changing and starting sooner than they once did.”

Pathway from associate to bachelor’s degree: Of the 3.4 million learners who earned an undergraduate credential in 2024-2025, 892,300 had previously earned a postsecondary credential. The most common pathway was learners who completed a bachelor’s degree after they had earned an associate degree.

The 419,800 students who followed this pathway in 2024–25 represented a 1% increase from the previous year and the first meaningful growth in this pathway in four years. However, annual growth in the number of students in this pathway for 2024-25 is notably smaller than it was in the period 2016-17 to 2020-21.

Younger degree earners: Students are increasingly completing undergraduate credentials at younger ages. For the first time, students aged 18 to 20 represented the largest share of first-time associate degree earners, accounting for 32.6%, and surpassing those aged 21–24.

There was also notable growth in the number of students under 18 earning undergraduate certificates and associate degrees. The 52,500 first-time completers under 18 (likely dual enrolled high school students) earning these credentials in 2024-25, while still relatively small, represent the culmination of a decade of strong growth for this age group (+38,300, +277.1%). At the certificate level, the number of first-time completers under 18 more than quadrupled (+27,200), while at the associate degree level, the number more than tripled (+11,100).

Dual enrollment impact: Increases in students under 18 earning undergraduate credentials is likely driven by increasing interest in and availability of dual enrollment programs for high school students over the last decade. Dual enrollment may also be a factor behind the increasing number and share of associate and bachelor’s degree earners over this period who are between 18 and 20 years old.

At the associate degree level, there were 77,100 more 18- to 20-year-olds who received an award in 2024-25 compared to a decade ago, representing a 47.7% increase. Students in this age group now account for 27.6% of all associate degree earners, up 9.6 percentage points over that period.

While the scale of these changes is smaller at the bachelor’s degree level, they are still notable. The number of 18- to 20-year-old bachelor’s degree recipients has grown by 27,400 since 2015–16, more than doubling their share of all bachelor’s degree earners (2.4% compared to 1.0%).

About the National Student Clearinghouse^® Research Center™

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in 1993. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.

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