{"id":2005,"date":"2022-09-21T13:40:13","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T17:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/?post_type=ht_kb&#038;p=2005"},"modified":"2026-10-22T18:03:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T22:03:33","slug":"common-graduates-file-submission-errors","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/knowledge-base\/common-graduates-file-submission-errors\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Graduates File Submission Errors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you submit your graduates file, follow these guidelines to avoid common errors and ensure that StudentTracker can process your file and track your graduates accurately and efficiently. For detailed information and instructions, see <a class=\"heroickb_exit_link\" href=\"?hkb-redirect&#038;nonce=a23a4559ca&#038;check=5idm5&#038;redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fhelp.studentclearinghouse.org%2Fsths%2Fknowledge-base%2Fformatting-and-submitting-a-graduates-file%2F&#038;otype=unknown&#038;oid=0&#038;source=block-content\">Formatting and Submitting a Graduates File<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Formatting the File<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Header row: <\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensure that the header row information is in row A and remove any column headers that you have added<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure that cell A1 contains the letters PH3 in all capital letters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure that the letters <em>ED<\/em> are <em>not<\/em> in column AB. The letters <em>ED<\/em> are only required in the student detail rows<br><br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"557\" height=\"58\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2341\" src=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting-1024x106.jpg\" alt=\"Formatting header row visual\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting-1024x106.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting-300x31.jpg 300w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting-768x79.jpg 768w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting-50x5.jpg 50w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting-920x95.jpg 920w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting-600x62.jpg 600w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting-320x33.jpg 320w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/headerowformatting.jpg 1198w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-hb-message is-style-note wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"message-label\">Note:<\/strong> We recommend that you add the header row information AFTER you add and format your student detail rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Student detail rows<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensure that all required student data fields are included and formatted correctly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure that every student row has the letters PD3 in column A<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure that the letters <em>ED<\/em> are in column AB for each of your student detail rows<br><br><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/rowend.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"124\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2006\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/rowend.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/rowend.png 704w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/rowend-300x62.png 300w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/rowend-50x10.png 50w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/rowend-600x124.png 600w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/rowend-320x66.png 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trailer row<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensure that this is the last row of your file and that it contains the letters PT3 in column A<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure that the letters <em>ED<\/em> are not in column AB of the trailer row<br><br><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/trailerrow.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"45\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2007\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/trailerrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/trailerrow.png 664w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/trailerrow-300x34.png 300w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/trailerrow-50x6.png 50w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/trailerrow-600x68.png 600w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/trailerrow-320x36.png 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Formatting the Fields<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Format non-date fields as text:<\/strong> Format all non-date fields as text before you add any data to ensure that the file retains any leading zeroes in Social Security numbers, student IDs, and\/or the high school ACT code.<br><br><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/textformat2-1.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"412\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2011\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/textformat2-1.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/textformat2-1.png 531w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/textformat2-1-300x275.png 300w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/textformat2-1-50x46.png 50w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/textformat2-1-320x293.png 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Correctly format date fields:<\/strong> Format all date fields as <em>YYYYMMDD<\/em> (year-month-day).<br><br><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/exceldateformat2-1.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"410\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2012\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/exceldateformat2-1.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/exceldateformat2-1.png 532w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/exceldateformat2-1-300x273.png 300w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/exceldateformat2-1-50x46.png 50w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/exceldateformat2-1-320x292.png 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Populate all Social Security number fields:<\/strong>\u00a0Do not leave Social Security number fields blank. If your organization does not collect Social Security numbers, or you do not want to submit a Social Security number, enter <em>NO SSN<\/em> in the field.<br><br><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/nossn.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"135\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2013\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/nossn.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/nossn.png 600w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/nossn-300x101.png 300w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/nossn-50x17.png 50w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/nossn-320x108.png 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Review the file submission guidelines:<\/strong> Make sure you follow the instructions in our <a href=\"https:\/\/theclearinghouse.download\/sthssubmitgrads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">file submission guidelines<\/a>, include all required fields, and format each field correctly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using Optional Fields<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Correctly format optional fields:<\/strong> Double-check any values entered in the optional demographic and academic fields. If you export data from your student information system (SIS), it may not be formatted in a way that StudentTracker can accept. Review our <a href=\"https:\/\/theclearinghouse.download\/sthssubmitgrads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">file submission guidelines<\/a> and make sure the values are valid and do not exceed character limits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Remove <em>N\/A<\/em> from optional fields:<\/strong> Do not enter <em>N\/A<\/em> in any optional academic or demographic fields. StudentTracker interprets <em>N\/A<\/em> as an error, which will delay the processing of your file. If you do not want to populate any optional fields, leave them blank.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Saving the File<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use the right file type:<\/strong> Save your file as <strong>Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt)<\/strong>. StudentTracker CANNOT process other file types, such as comma delimited (*.csv) or Excel files (*.xls or *.xlsx).<br><br><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/saveas2-1.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"370\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2016\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/saveas2-1.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/saveas2-1.png 380w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/saveas2-1-284x300.png 284w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/saveas2-1-47x50.png 47w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/saveas2-1-320x339.png 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Remove invalid characters from the filename:<\/strong> You can use numbers, letters, hyphens and underscores in your filename. StudentTracker will reject your file if you use any other characters in the filename.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before you submit your graduates file, follow these guidelines to avoid common errors and ensure that StudentTracker can process your file and track your graduates accurately and efficiently. For detailed information and instructions, see Formatting and Submitting a Graduates File. Formatting the File Note: We recommend that you add the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"footnotes":""},"ht-kb-category":[66],"ht-kb-tag":[],"class_list":["post-2005","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","ht_kb_category-graduates-files"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/2005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ht_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2005"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/2005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2589,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/2005\/revisions\/2589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-category?post=2005"},{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-tag?post=2005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}