Education Verification & History
It’s a thrill to find that seemingly perfect candidate with all the right education credentials and qualifications. But how do you know that person has all the educational background and accomplishments they’ve documented on their resume? A University of Massachusetts study reported by Harvard Business Review found that 81% of people lie about themselves during job interviews.
Your business can’t afford to be led astray by false information — especially when it comes to a person’s education. That’s where education history verification comes in. VICTIG handles education verifications thoroughly and professionally so that busy HR professionals like you have one less routine, yet critical task to deal with. Our checks inform your hiring decisions so that you can hire with confidence and enjoy the benefits of bringing on a skilled employee.
Verify Education History and Credentials With VICTIG
When you outsource an education verification background check to a third party, you can trust the results to come back quickly and accurately, saving you time and stress. VICTIG’s comprehensive education verification team works directly with registrar’s offices and prevents details of a candidate’s educational background from slipping through the cracks. When you outsource administrative tasks like these, you’ll enjoy a faster turnaround time, allowing you to hire necessary help sooner.
Our screening solutions are designed to quickly and effortlessly verify that any given candidate has received the degree and major they claimed to have gotten from a high school, college, university, or other institution. We can also confirm dates of attendance, GPA, awards, honors, and licensing. We’ll raise red flags and expose discrepancies on the front end of the hiring process, to save you from making costly hiring mistakes.
Why Education Verification Is Important in the Hiring Process
Root Out Dishonest Candidates
Education verification services root out candidates who have lied about any aspect of their education — including their GPA, major, institution attended, degree completion, dates of attendance, and more — early in the process. Even if a person is qualified despite discrepancies on their resume, you don’t want to start a professional relationship on the foundation of little white lies. Problematic hires also pose a liability risk.
Hire Sooner
Education verifications can be a pain for hiring managers. You have lots of other administrative work to handle on a day-to-day basis, but VICTIG’s third-party verification services are dedicated to this task. We’ll verify education credentials quickly and in line with regulations so you can hire sooner, free up more time for HR functions, and breathe easier.
Simplify Verifications for Candidates
Our services make it easy and simple for candidates to provide all of their education information online for verification, giving them a seamless application experience and reducing wait times in the hiring process. With fast verification turnaround times, they will also find out faster whether or not they are moving to the next step in the hiring process.
"The way you guys handle stuff with emails and alerts, and have it basically done all online is the biggest reason why we chose to move to VICTIG."
- Ashley Ray & April Chase
Professional License Verifications
Some positions require licensing in addition to educational qualifications. In verifying this licensure, we contact the associated agency that issued the license to confirm the status, license type, expiration date, and even discipline the candidate may have incurred.
VICTIG can also confirm a candidate’s license for the following types of job positions, among others:
- Accountant
- Lawyer
- Teacher
- Aesthetician
- Massage therapist
- Plumber
- Counselor
- Electrician
- Land Surveyor
- Pharmacist
- Nurse
- Doctor
- Dentist
Education Verification, Answered
An education verification confirms that a candidate earned the degree or diploma they list, from the school they name, on the dates they give. VICTIG verifies college and university degrees, high school diplomas and GEDs. Candidates submit their education details online, so HR doesn’t have to chase records.
By default, VICTIG verifies the candidate’s highest completed level of education, not counting certificates. If a candidate attended college but didn’t finish, VICTIG verifies their high school diploma or GED instead.
What it confirms
- The school and its location
- Degree, diploma or GED earned, and major
- Dates of attendance and graduation date
- Honors and GPA, when the school releases them
What it doesn’t show
- Transcripts or grades, unless the school releases them
- Disciplinary records, which schools don’t release without the student’s consent
Want the full picture? See what a background check shows.
How Education Verification Works
1. The candidate submits their education
Candidates enter their schools, degrees and dates online when they complete their background check forms.
2. VICTIG checks the record
If the school participates in the National Student Clearinghouse, VICTIG verifies through it first. If the Clearinghouse can’t confirm the record, VICTIG contacts the school’s registrar directly.
3. You get the result in your report
Any differences between what the candidate listed and what the school confirms are noted in the report.
When the school can’t confirm a degree
Schools close, and not every closed private school is required to keep its records. When a school can’t be reached, VICTIG asks the candidate for a diploma or transcript and tries to confirm the document is authentic. A document alone isn’t treated as proof of graduation. If the record still can’t be verified, VICTIG explains what was found and asks how you want to proceed.
What can slow a verification down
- The school is closed for a break, or its registrar is slow to respond.
- The candidate’s name changed, or the dates and degree don’t match the school’s records.
- The school has closed and its records moved, or weren’t kept.
- The degree is from a school outside the U.S. VICTIG verifies international degrees through a partner, which can take several weeks, sometimes more than a month.
Catching Fake Degrees
Diploma mills sell degrees that require little or no coursework. VICTIG checks whether a college or university is accredited in the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). Closed or questionable schools, including high schools, get additional research before a result is reported.
Warning signs the FTC tells employers to watch for
- An advanced degree with no bachelor’s degree, or a degree with no high school diploma
- Several degrees earned in the same year, or a degree finished in an unusually short time
- A school far from where the candidate lived or worked while studying
- A school name that sounds like a well-known university
- A foreign school in a country where the candidate never lived
Education Verification FAQs
What does an education verification show?
It confirms the school, the degree, diploma or GED earned, the major, and the dates of attendance and graduation. Honors and GPA appear only when the school releases them.
How does VICTIG verify a degree?
If the school participates in the National Student Clearinghouse, VICTIG verifies through it first. If the Clearinghouse can’t confirm the record, VICTIG contacts the school’s registrar directly.
How long does education verification take?
Many U.S. records come back quickly through the Clearinghouse. Verifications take longer when a school is closed for a break, the details don’t match, or the school has closed. International degrees can take several weeks, sometimes more than a month.
Do employers need the candidate’s consent?
Yes. A verification run by a background check company is part of a background check under the FCRA, so the employer needs the candidate’s written authorization first. Learn more in our guide to FCRA-compliant background check services.
Is GPA included?
Only when the school releases it. VICTIG requests GPA, but schools rarely provide it, and Clearinghouse verifications don’t include it.
Can you verify a high school diploma or GED?
Yes. VICTIG verifies the highest completed level of education by default, so a candidate who attended college without finishing gets their high school diploma or GED verified.
Can you verify a degree from a school that closed?
Often. Closed public schools’ records are kept by district offices, but not every private school is required to keep records. When a record can’t be found, VICTIG asks the candidate for a diploma or transcript, tries to authenticate it, and checks with you on how to proceed.
Can you verify international degrees?
Yes. VICTIG verifies degrees from schools outside the U.S. through a partner. Expect several weeks, sometimes more than a month.
How does VICTIG catch diploma mills?
VICTIG checks whether a college is accredited in the Department of Education’s DAPIP database, and closed or questionable schools get additional research before a result is reported.
Does VICTIG also verify professional licenses?
Yes. VICTIG contacts the issuing agency to confirm license status, type, expiration and any disciplinary action. VICTIG also offers employment verification.
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