Press Release

Participation in National Student Clearinghouse's Student Self-Service Surpasses 500 Colleges 

Service Is Available To One In Four US College Students

HERNDON, VA, May 6, 2008 - The National Student Clearinghouse, the nation's trusted source for degree and enrollment information, today announced that the number of colleges using its Student Self-Service web site has surpassed 500, providing access to the site to nearly five million students representing more than 25% of US college enrollment. Student Self-Service, which is free to participating institutions, enables students to obtain enrollment and student loan information and perform a number of enrollment verification and other activities at no charge.

One of the most recent institutions to go live with Student Self-Service is Drexel University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel has nearly 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students and is one of the largest and most prestigious private universities in the US. "We're excited to provide Student Self-Service as a resource for our students," said Joseph Salomone, university registrar at Drexel, "Now, instead of calling or coming to the registrar's office, students can log on anytime or anywhere and get instant access to a full menu of important services. It's a great time-saving resource for our students and our office. We are so pleased with the service, it is amazing!"

In 2007, both the number of institutions participating in Student Self-Service and student usage of the site increased 23% over the previous year. During the single largest month, January 2008, usage jumped 54% compared to the previous January. On average, nearly 4,000 students log onto Student Self-Service each day, which translates into reduced call volume and shorter lines at participating registrar offices.

Students use the site to perform a variety of routine tasks on demand, including:

• Print enrollment certificates 
• View enrollment histories 
• Obtain a list of their lenders and view loan deferments sent on their behalf
• Check enrollment verifications sent to service providers, like health insurers
• Order transcripts (if the college participates in the Clearinghouse's Transcript Ordering service) 
• Link to real-time information on their student loans

"Student Self-Service is one example of the many ways that the Clearinghouse works to deliver services that offer time-saving benefits to both colleges and their students," said Rick Torres, president of the National Student Clearinghouse.

For a list of participating institutions and more information on Student Self-Service, please visit the Clearinghouse web site at www.studentclearinghouse.org/colleges/sss/default.htm.

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