For federal financial aid enrollment reporting compliance, the student identifiers are: current first name, current middle name, current last name, date of birth (DOB), and Social Security number (SSN). The identifiers for students benefitting from federal aid should be consistent with the financial aid paperwork (FAFSA and ISIR), school student information system (SIS), Direct Loan servicers, guarantee agencies, lenders, Common Origination & Disbursement (COD), the National Student Clearinghouse, and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).

For the Clearinghouse data flow to NSLDS, NSLDS flags error code 11 when certain student identifier conflicts are present. Typically, NSLDS error code 11 occurs when there are name and/or DOB conflicts.

To vet current student identifiers, it is helpful to consult available documentation at the institution. This could be a FAFSA form, ISIR, SSN card, or other official documents reflecting the student’s name, DOB, and SSN.

When Student Identifiers are Confirmed to be Incorrect in the Clearinghouse and Correct in NSLDS

Institutions can update a student’s name and/or date of birth in the Clearinghouse by submitting an online update through Student Look-Up or, if presented with an error code 11, through the SSCR Error Corrections platform.

Updating name and/or DOB via the Student Look-Up tab

1. Search for the student by the SSN
2. Select “Update Student Record”
3. In the “Edit Student” drop-down menu, select “Other Changes”
4. Edit the name and/or DOB as necessary
5. Select “Submit”

Updating name and/or DOB via the Data Reporting Dashboard’s NSLDS error correction platform (e.g., NSLDS error code 11)

1. Select the SSN
2. *optional* select “Compare NSLDS Roster Data” to see a side-by-side comparison of the student’s data in the Clearinghouse vs. the student’s data as requested on the NSLDS Roster
3. In the “Personal Information” section, update the name and/or DOB where applicable
4. Select “Submit”

When Student Identifiers are Confirmed to be Correct in the Clearinghouse and Incorrect in NSLDS

The NSLDS Enrollment Reporting Guide describes “Student Identifiers and Data Conflicts”:

“You must be certain that you have a legitimate match of identifiers when reporting enrollment on a student. One or more of the student identifiers provided by NSLDS may differ from the information in your school records. If you are sure your data is correct based on a reliable source and/or documentation on file, you must contact the data provider (GA, lender, lender/servicer, or federal loan servicer for each loan) to which you are conflicting with and work with the provider to make the necessary changes. If you cannot resolve the discrepancy with the data provider, you may contact the NSLDS Customer Support Center (CSC) at 1-800-999-8219. You will need to provide copies of certain legal documents to make changes.”

Methods for Updating Student Identifiers in NSLDS

Method 1:

Contact the NSLDS Customer Service Center (NSLDS@ed.gov or 1-800-999-8219) to request assistance with updating a student’s name and/or date of birth in NSLDS. You should request a ticket number from NSLDS for your reference and recordkeeping. Your institution will need to provide NSLDS with acceptable documentation in order for NSLDS to make the change.

Acceptable Forms of Documentation for NSLDS Conflicts

Method 2:

Contact the student’s loan servicer and request that they update the student’s identifiers in NSLDS. Loan servicers should have access to update a student’s name and DOB in NSLDS by following these steps:

1. In the “Aid Recipient” tab, search by the student’s SSN, Date of Birth, and First Name, which are currently reflected in the NSLDS student profile.
2. Select the “H” icon located next to the SSN.
3. Update the name and/or date of birth.