{"id":1272,"date":"2026-01-29T06:59:57","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T06:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/reversetransfer\/knowledge-base\/considerations-for-exchanging-data-2\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T19:21:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T19:21:33","slug":"data-provider-quick-start-guide","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/dataexchange\/knowledge-base\/data-provider-quick-start-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Data Provider Quick Start Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is intended to help Data Providers readily scan the information needed to send reverse transfer files in pipe-delimited format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

File Section 1 – Header Record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Header Record is a single row in the file:  RTCD1|123456|00|20140924|FileName<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Field 1<\/strong><\/th>Field <\/strong>2<\/th>Field 3<\/strong><\/th>Field 4<\/strong><\/th>Field 5<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
RTCD1<\/strong><\/td>OPEID<\/strong><\/td>Branch Code<\/strong><\/td>Date<\/strong><\/td>File Name<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The header record<\/strong> will always<\/strong> start with RTCD1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

File Section 2 – Body Record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Body Record is generally multiple records\/rows in the file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RTD1|7100003|123456789||John|S|Smith|Sr|19850814|12345 Somewhere Dr.||Someplace|VA|77396|US|703 999 9999|Someone@hometown.edu|Y|60|||999999<\/span><\/strong>|CHEM|1405|IntroChemistry|Fall2014|20140825|20141214|B|2014 1214|3|Regular Enrollment|y|Math|025|3.5|3.7|888888|12131415|||||<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Systems are required to submit their Host OPEID<\/strong> (see highlighted text above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Field 1<\/strong><\/th>Field 2<\/strong><\/th>Field 3<\/strong><\/th>Field 4<\/strong><\/th>Field 5<\/strong><\/th>Field 6<\/strong><\/th>Field 7<\/strong><\/th>Field 8<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td><\/tr>
Row Identifier<\/strong> (RTD1)<\/strong><\/td>Host Student ID<\/strong><\/td>SSN<\/strong><\/td>ITIN<\/strong><\/td>First<\/strong> Name<\/strong><\/td>Middle Name<\/strong><\/td>Last Name<\/strong><\/td>Suffix<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Field 9<\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 10<\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 11<\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 12<\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 13<\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 14<\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 15<\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 16<\/strong><\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td><\/tr>
Date of Birth<\/strong><\/td>Street<\/strong> Line 1<\/strong><\/td>Street<\/strong> Line 2<\/strong><\/td>City<\/strong><\/td>State<\/strong><\/td>Zip Code<\/strong><\/td>Country<\/strong><\/td>Student Phone<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Field 17<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 18<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 19<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 20<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 21<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 22<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 23<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 24<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Student Email<\/strong><\/td>Host Core Competency Completed<\/strong><\/td>Total <\/strong>Combined<\/strong> Earned Transferred Credits<\/strong><\/td>Purpose Course Exchange<\/strong><\/td>Industry Endorsement<\/strong><\/td>Host OPEID<\/strong><\/td>Course Name<\/strong><\/td>Course Number<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Field 25<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 26<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 27<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 28<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 29<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 30<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 31<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 32<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td><\/tr>
Course Description<\/strong><\/td>Course Semester<\/strong> Session<\/strong><\/td>Course <\/strong>Begin Date<\/strong><\/td>Course <\/strong>End Date<\/strong><\/td>Grade<\/strong><\/td>Grade Effective<\/strong> Date<\/strong><\/td>Number Credits<\/strong><\/td>Credit Description<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Field 33<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 34<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 35<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 36<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 37<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 38<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 39<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 40<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td>Required<\/em><\/td>Optional<\/td>Optional<\/td><\/tr>
Core Course<\/strong><\/td>Core <\/strong>Course Type<\/strong><\/td>Grade Scale<\/strong><\/td>Semester Session GPA<\/strong><\/td>Overall<\/strong> GPA<\/strong><\/td>DGI<\/strong> OPEID<\/strong><\/td>DGI Student ID<\/strong><\/td>Industry Provided Curriculum<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Field 41<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 42<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 43<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th>Field 44<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
[Filler Field 1]<\/td>[Filler Field 2]<\/td>[Filler Field 3]<\/td>[Filler Field 4]<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The body record will always<\/strong> start with RTD1 for every<\/em><\/strong> student record in the file<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have no data<\/strong> for an optional field or the filler fields, you must insert a pipe to replace the null content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of the optional fields in the file are critical to the Degree-Granting Institution (DGI) in processing the students for evaluation and notification of the degree. We encourage you to submit optional fields to support your partner institutions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
File Section 3 – Trailer Record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Trailer Record is a single row in the file:  RTT1|99<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Field 1<\/strong><\/th>Field 2<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Required<\/em><\/td>Required<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
RTT1<\/strong><\/td>Record Count<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The trailer record will always<\/strong> start with RTT1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Record count must <\/strong>include\/count <\/strong>the header and trailer records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
File Naming Convention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To properly identify incoming file formats for Reverse Transfer, each<\/em> file submitted must have a unique file name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data providers must adhere to the following file naming convention when submitting flat files: OPEID_UniqueFileName.txt<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transmitting Reverse Transfer Data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Data Providers transmit reverse transfer pipe-delimited files to the Clearinghouse via secure FTP. The Clearinghouse Implementation team will assist you in setting up an account as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n