Press Release

Paul Taylor Joins Clearinghouse As Regional Director

HERNDON, VA, September 28, 2005 - The National Student Clearinghouse, a non-profit organization founded by the higher education community that provides educational verification and research services to post-secondary institutions and high schools, today announced the appointment of Paul Taylor as its newest regional director, effective September 6, 2005. More than 2,800 post-secondary institutions — representing over 91% of the nation's college enrollment — participate in the Clearinghouse.

Mr. Taylor will promote Clearinghouse services to registrars, admissions officers and institutional researchers at colleges and universities located in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. He will be responsible for increasing participation in the Clearinghouse's free Web-based degree and enrollment verification services (DegreeVerify and EnrollmentVerify, respectively), free online Transcript Ordering service, and its subscription-based educational research service, StudentTracker.

"Paul brings a wealth of knowledge across a wide range of student service areas to his new role," said Dr. Jeffery M. Tanner, vice president of Higher Education Development at the National Student Clearinghouse, "I believe the Clearinghouse and the colleges and universities that rely on our services will benefit from his years of experience and expertise. We're pleased that he is joining the Clearinghouse team."

"As a seasoned college administrator, I've tackled the same challenges faced by others in registration and enrollment management and have experienced first-hand how implementing Clearinghouse services improved efficiency," said Mr. Taylor, "I look forward to working with my peers across the country to help them better understand how to take full advantage of their Clearinghouse relationship. Looking for new and innovative solutions to problems in our offices is critical to our profession. I believe the Clearinghouse can assist us in maximizing the services we provide."

Mr. Taylor has more than 30 years of experience in college registration, admissions, financial aid, student services and enrollment management. Prior to joining the Clearinghouse, he was vice president for Student Development and Enrollment Services for the Bluegrass Community and Technical College District in Kentucky, which has more than 12,000 students. There, he was responsible for consolidating student affairs operations between Lexington Community College and Central Kentucky Community and Technical College. Prior to that, Mr. Taylor served as the dean for enrollment management and student affairs at Lexington Community College for more than two decades, overseeing the school's admissions, records, financial aid, disability support services, orientation, academic advising, placement, retention, and TRIO programs.

Mr. Taylor has served on the boards and as president of the Kentucky Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (KACRAO), the Kentucky Association for the Promotion of College Admissions, and the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (SACRAO). He was vice president for admissions and enrollment management of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) from 1999 to 2002 and served as president of AACRAO in 2003 to 2004.

About The National Student Clearinghouse®

The National Student Clearinghouse (a non-profit formed in 1993) is the unique and trusted source for higher education enrollment and degree verifications. 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 3,300 participating higher education institutions, which represent over 92% of the national enrollment.

Through its verification and reporting services, the Clearinghouse saves higher education institutions cumulatively more than a hundred 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. All Clearinghouse services are operated in full compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

In addition, the Clearinghouse provides accurate FERPA compliant verifications to student loan providers, employers, student credit issuers, student health insurance providers, the U.S. Department of Education, and others who access its registry more than 100 million times annually.

For more information, visit www.studentclearinghouse.org.

For Questions About This Press Release Only, Contact:
Kathleen Dugan
Marketing Director
703-742-4208
dugan@studentclearinghouse.org

For Help With or Questions About Any Clearinghouse Service, Contact:
703-742-4200
service@studentclearinghouse.org