Understanding Your Education Verification Results

Education verifications have become an important step in the hiring process helping employers confirm the academic credentials of potential candidates. If you’ve recently completed an education verification, you’ve likely received one of three possible results: a confirmed record, no graduation record found, or restricted access to the candidate’s information. At AuraData we categorize these results as: File Found, No File Found, and Caution. Understanding these results and knowing what steps to take next can ensure a smooth pre-employment screening process.

✅ File Found

What It Means

You are off to a great start! A "File Found" result indicates that the educational institution has a record of graduation matching the candidate’s personal identifying information. The records department will be able to share or confirm the graduation information provided by third parties with appropriate consent signed by the graduate. At AuraData education verifications include: Credential(s) Earned, Date of Convocation, as well as any Major, Minor, or Specialization provided by the institution. 

What to Do Next

• Review the returned information: Ensure the graduation record matches the details provided by the candidate. 
• If the information is accurate: You can proceed with confidence in the candidate’s educational background.
• If the information does not match: It is important to determine whether there are minor clerical errors or potential misrepresentations.
• Engage with the candidate: Ask for clarification or additional proof of education. Based on the candidate’s response, use your internal hiring guidelines to determine if this discrepancy is integral to the hiring decision. 
• Dispute incorrect results: If the institution’s record appears incorrect, verification services like AuraData often have a dispute process for further clarification. 

🚫 No File Found

What It Means

A "File Not Found" result means that the educational institution could not locate a record matching the details submitted.

What to Do Next

• Confirm the candidate’s identifying information: Ensure that the name, graduation year, and program details are correct. It is important to provide any name variations (e.g., maiden names) that may have changed since graduation to help identify the correct record. Resubmit the verification request with corrected information. 
• Ensure the correct institution and location: Some schools have similar names and multiple locations. Ensuring that the verification request is submitted to the correct department within the institution is important. Verification services such as AuraData have developed relationships with records departments to ensure requests are sent to the appropriate contact and responded to as quickly as possible. 
• Consider timing restrictions: If the candidate recently completed their program but has not convocated, their record may not yet be available.

If all details are accurate and the institution still cannot locate a record, it is likely the candidate did not graduate from the institution. If the candidate believes that this result is an error, verification services like AuraData have a dispute option where the file is taken back to the school for further clarification.  

⚠️ Caution Result

What It Means

A "Caution" result indicates that the institution has placed a hold on the students' information. To protect their privacy students may request the institution place a hold on their record and not share information with outside parties. In addition, institutions can place a hold on a student's record if they have outstanding fees or administrative requirements that need resolution before information can be released.

What to Do Next

• Inform the candidate: If the caution has been placed by the institution, the candidate may be unaware of the hold on their academic record. 
• Advise the candidate to contact the institution: Your candidate will need to contact the school directly to resolve any outstanding issues. Once completed, the candidate can request the school to release their records for verification
• Contact the AuraData team once the issue is resolved: Once your candidate has informed you that the hold at the Institution has been cleared, email (service@auradata.com) or call (416-406-0444 x2) to let us know. We will then confirm with the Institution and have the verification response released to your portal. 

Education verifications help to ensure trust and credibility in your candidate’s background. If you receive a "File Not Found" or "Caution" result, don’t panic, many cases can be resolved with further clarification. At AuraData, we’re here to help you navigate these results for a seamless verification process.

For more guidance on education verifications, contact the AuraData team today!