National Student Clearinghouse Creates G.R.E.E.N.(SM) Platform and Statement of Principles to Enable Free, Secure Global Exchange of Student Records

New Open, Standards-Based Network Endorsed by Education Industry Leaders:
AACRAO, Ellucian, Hobsons, and NACAC

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Student Clearinghouse today announced the creation of G.R.E.E.N., the Global Registrar EduRecord Exchange Network(SM), a free, open, principles driven and standards-based network to enable the secure exchange of electronic student academic records worldwide. G.R.E.E.N. offers a gateway through which schools everywhere can easily and quickly exchange records with one another, helping them meet the demands of an increasingly mobile student population. Management of G.R.E.E.N., a neutral and open environment, will be based upon longstanding principles developed by the education community for the University of Texas SPEEDEServer(SM).

The SPEEDE (Standardization of Post-Secondary Education Electronic Data Exchange) Server was implemented by the University of Texas at Austin in 1995 as a shared U.S. exchange platform that operated according to principles written by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee. In October 2012, UT Austin selected the Clearinghouse to assume operation of the SPEEDE Server. The G.R.E.E.N. Statement of Principles establishes a level of global understanding and cooperation surrounding electronic data exchange. "The University of Texas at Austin is proud of the SPEEDE Server service that we have provided to the higher education community for the past 18 years," said V. Shelby Stanfield, Vice Provost and University Registrar, The University of Texas at Austin. "The free, in-kind service has grown and benefited the higher education community far beyond what we originally envisioned. We are equally proud of our partnership with the National Student Clearinghouse who has agreed to assume and expand the operation of the SPEEDE Server under the server's original development principles and to integrate the service into the G.R.E.E.N. platform."

According to Rick Torres, president and CEO, National Student Clearinghouse, "Our commitment is to ensure that the G.R.E.E.N. platform serves the best interests of schools and their students from day one and onward. We hope this network helps accelerate the movement of institutions toward a paper-free environment where information can move at a digital pace in a secure, privacy-compliant manner serving students and schools by enhancing student mobility and reducing the costs currently associated with it."

Education industry support for the G.R.E.E.N. Principles has been wide ranging, demonstrating the need for a free and open platform that serves all educational institutions and their solution providers. AACRAO, which has a worldwide membership of 11,000 higher education professionals, has helped develop the standards for electronic education data exchange. According to AACRAO's executive director, Mike Reilly, "The Texas SPEEDE Server has served the higher education community well for nearly two decades. The G.R.E.E.N. network provides welcome continuity based on sound principles and proven standards."

Stated Joyce E. Smith, Chief Executive Officer for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), which represents more than 13,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education: "We appreciate the Clearinghouse's willingness to maintain this valuable resource. The reliable and secure transfer of educational data is absolutely vital for students, colleges and universities, researchers, and policymakers."

Dr. Daniel Domenech, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, a professional organization comprising more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world, commented: "Advanced networking innovation is an essential factor in breaking down communication barriers throughout the higher education community, not only within the U.S., but beyond our nation's borders. I applaud the National Student Clearinghouse for developing a computing platform that will help answer the growing technological challenges that students face on a day-to-day basis. This cutting-edge, electronic data exchange will significantly boost the quality of worldwide research and collaboration."

Mark Jones, Chief Product Officer, Ellucian, which serves more than 2,400 institutions in 40 countries with its broad portfolio of technology solution, noted: "The ability to exchange student data electronically is a critical enabler of expanded educational opportunity and student success. We're delighted to see the SPEEDE Server get the support it needs to continue serving this important role and applaud the community-driven effort to manage that transition."

Educations solutions provider Hobsons, which serves millions of students across more than 7,500 schools, colleges, and universities worldwide, intends to use G.R.E.E.N. for its offerings. Said Stephen Smith, president of the K-12 division at Hobsons: "We're proud to collaborate with the National Student Clearinghouse, a trusted leader in education verification, in creating a free and open transcript exchange network to better support students and families by facilitating the transmission of academic information between educational institutions."

Read the G.R.E.E.N. Statement of Principles.

About the National Student Clearinghouse
The National Student Clearinghouse (a nonprofit formed in 1993) is the trusted source for and leading provider of higher education verifications and electronic education record exchanges, handling more than 700 million verification requests and 250 million education record exchanges annually. The Clearinghouse serves as a single point of contact for the collection and timely exchange of accurate and comprehensive enrollment, degree, and certificate records on behalf of its more than 3,500 participating higher education institutions, which represent 98 percent of all students in public and private U.S. institutions. The Clearinghouse also provides thousands of high schools and districts with continuing collegiate enrollment, progression, and completion statistics on their alumni.

Through its verification, electronic exchange, and reporting services, the Clearinghouse saves the education community cumulatively more than 400 million dollars annually. Most Clearinghouse services are provided to colleges and universities at little or no charge, including enhanced transcript and research services, enabling institutions to redistribute limited staff and budget resources to more important student service efforts. Clearinghouse services are designed to facilitate an institution's compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, The Higher Education Act, and other applicable laws.

In addition, the Clearinghouse provides accurate, timely enrollment and degree verifications to student loan providers, employers, student credit issuers, the U.S. Department of Education, and others who access its registry more than half a billion times annually.

For more information, visit www.studentclearinghouse.org.

SOURCE National Student Clearinghouse