{"id":2066,"date":"2023-08-17T15:45:40","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T19:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/?post_type=ht_kb&#038;p=2066"},"modified":"2026-10-22T18:01:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T22:01:33","slug":"frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/knowledge-base\/frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I submit student data?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See&nbsp;<a class=\"heroickb_exit_link\" href=\"?hkb-redirect&#038;nonce=8d0605158b&#038;check=59rpr&#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> for details and resources for submitting student data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I submit a test file?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. See&nbsp;<a class=\"heroickb_exit_link\" href=\"?hkb-redirect&#038;nonce=8d0605158b&#038;check=1iqob&#038;redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fhelp.studentclearinghouse.org%2Fsths%2Fknowledge-base%2Fsubmitting-a-test-file%2F&#038;otype=unknown&#038;oid=0&#038;source=block-content\">Submitting a Test File<\/a> for instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What student data is required?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Legal Name:<\/strong> The student&#8217;s first name and last name. The middle name\/initial is optional, but we recommend including it if available.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Date of Birth:<\/strong> The student&#8217;s date of birth in <em>YYYYMMDD<\/em> format. For example, a birthdate of March 17, 2004 should be formatted as <em>20040317.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High School:<\/strong> The student\u2019s high school name and ACT code from the Account Reference sheet you received during implementation. If you did not receive this sheet, or you have questions, contact us at <a href=\"mailto:StudentTracker@StudentClearinghouse.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">StudentTracker@StudentClearinghouse.org<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High School Graduation Date:<\/strong> The date the student graduated high school in <em>YYYYMMDD<\/em> format. For example, a graduation date of June 2, 2023 should be formatted as <em>20230602<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diploma Type:<\/strong> The type of diploma the student earned.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Student ID:<\/strong> The student\u2019s ID is not required, but we recommend providing it if available. We will return this data to you in the student-level detail report.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Security Number:<\/strong> The student\u2019s Social Security number (SSN) is not required; however, if your institution is using our DiplomaVerify service, we recommend providing the SSN. StudentTracker does not use the student\u2019s SSN to find the student in the database.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Demographic and Academic Data:<\/strong> The student\u2019s demographic and academic data are optional, but we recommend providing as much information as you can. You&#8217;ll receive StudentTracker outcome reports based on data you provide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See&nbsp;<a class=\"heroickb_exit_link\" href=\"?hkb-redirect&#038;nonce=8d0605158b&#038;check=59rpr&#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> to view the file submission guide for specific information about each piece of data and a seven-minute tutorial explaining the file formatting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How should I format dates?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Columns I and L are dates and must be formatted as <em>YYYYMMDD<\/em>. For example, if a student\u2019s high school graduation date is June 1, 2022, it must be formatted as <em>20220601<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To format date cells before you populate them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Highlight the column or cell of the date(s) you would like to format.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Right-click the highlighted section and select <strong>Format Cells<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the Format Cells window, select <strong>Custom<\/strong> under <em>Category<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>Type<\/strong> text box, delete\/remove any existing text and enter <em>YYYYMMDD<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When you enter (or paste) dates into the file, you can format them as <em>MM\/DD\/YYYY<\/em>, and they will automatically populate in the correct <em>YYYYMMDD<\/em> format. For example, to enter <em>June 30, 2001<\/em>, type <em>06\/30\/2001<\/em>, and it will be automatically changed to <em>200010630<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To format date cells after you populate them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter (or paste) all dates in <em>MM\/DD\/YYYY<\/em> format in columns I and L.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Highlight columns I and L.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Right-click in the highlighted area and select <strong>Format Cells<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the Format Cells window, select <strong>Custom<\/strong> under <em>Category<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>Type<\/strong> text box, delete\/remove any existing text and enter <em>YYYYMMDD<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>OK<\/strong>. All dates will be formatted as <em>YYYYMMDD<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If I do not have a student\u2019s SSN, should I leave that field blank?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not leave the <em>SSN<\/em> field in column B blank. If you do not have a student&#8217;s SSN, enter<em> NO SSN<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which *.txt file format should I select when saving my file?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Excel allows for four different *.txt file format options. Select <strong>Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt)&nbsp;<\/strong>for your graduates file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/texttabdelimited.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"599\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/texttabdelimited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2067\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.0392609699769053;width:450px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/texttabdelimited.png 599w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/texttabdelimited-300x289.png 300w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/texttabdelimited-50x48.png 50w, https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-content\/uploads\/texttabdelimited-320x308.png 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do I do if a student&#8217;s last name exceeds the 40-character limit?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can truncate a student&#8217;s last name by removing spaces, apostrophes, and\/or hyphens. Include only the first 40 characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the valid diploma types for column K?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By using a set list of diploma types, we maintain consistent diploma information across all service participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Endorsed\/Advanced Diploma<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>General Education Development Credential (GED)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High School Equivalency Credential (other than GED)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>International Baccalaureate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modified Diploma<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regular Diploma<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vocational Certificate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I know if you received my graduates file?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you upload a graduates file through your FTP account, the FTP application sends you an email to notify you that your upload was successful; however, this does not mean that the Clearinghouse has received your submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The FTP application sends the file to the Clearinghouse, where it goes through structural validations to ensure the overall format is correct.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If it passes the structural validations, the our system sends the file to the StudentTracker file submission queue for additional validations. The first cell in your file (A1) tells us that it is a StudentTracker for High Schools file so that our system can send it to the correct queue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your file fails the additional validations, a StudentTracker operations analyst will email the contacts on your institution&#8217;s FTP account to explain the issue and how to resolve it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I have to submit each high school graduating class in a different file?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. You can either submit each graduation cohort in a separate file or combine them into one file. If you combine cohorts, make sure your file does not contain more than 250,000 records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I have more questions?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Email your questions to <a href=\"mailto:StudentTracker@StudentClearinghouse.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">StudentTracker@StudentClearinghouse.org<\/a>. Include your institution&#8217;s name and service agreement\/account number in your message.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do I submit student data? See&nbsp;Formatting and Submitting a Graduates File for details and resources for submitting student data. Can I submit a test file? Yes. See&nbsp;Submitting a Test File for instructions. What student data is required? See&nbsp;Formatting and Submitting a Graduates File to view the file submission guide&#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":[68],"ht-kb-tag":[],"class_list":["post-2066","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","ht_kb_category-faq"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/2066","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=2066"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/2066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2587,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/2066\/revisions\/2587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-category?post=2066"},{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.studentclearinghouse.org\/sths\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-tag?post=2066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}