This article will help you:
- Understand what Education Verification is and why it’s an important part of a background check
- Decide when to include Education Verifications in your background check package
- Interpret Education Verification on a background check report
- Understand your candidate's experience
This article is intended for the following user roles: admin, adjudicator, user
Education Verification verifies a candidate's certifications or educational claims. They confirm where the candidate went to school, the type of degree obtained, the major, and the graduation date (if provided).
Education can be verified for colleges, universities, high schools, and GED equivalency exams. International education verification can be enabled if needed, however, these verifications will take longer and additional fees apply. To enable international education verifications please Contact Us.
Education Verification Process
During the Checkr-Hosted Apply flow, candidates are asked to provide their education history. They are given the opportunity to upload documents to verify their high school diploma or GED certificate. If your candidate submits no education information, the report returns with a Consider status.
After a candidate submits their education history, Checkr's Education Verification can take up to 3 steps:
- Checkr contacts education databases to verify the highest level of education completed.
- If the school doesn't report to the education databases, Checkr tries 3 times to directly contact the school’s registrar.
- If the school doesn't respond after 3 attempts or the registrar can't confirm the highest level of education completed, the report generates an exception, and the candidate needs to submit proof of education. The candidate has 7 days to submit the information before that section of the report moves to Suspended status. After 30 days, the report completes with a Consider result.
Note
If a candidate uploads a high school diploma or a GED certificate during the Checkr-Hosted Apply Flow, the Checkr team compares the candidate's stated education history to the document provided and marks the verification complete. In these cases, Checkr doesn't try to contact the education databases or the school's registrar for confirmation.
Any user with an admin role can upload requested documents directly to the candidate's report using the exception link.
Checkr can't use any proof of education obtained outside the background check process. For example, Checkr can't accept third-party confirmation of the candidate’s information or documents that candidates email. If you want to allow your candidates to upload supporting documents, direct them to the Candidate Portal.
Interpreting the Results
After the search completes, the report shows a log of notes from the calls made.
If Checkr still hasn't received the information or if the details don't closely match what the candidate submitted, a warning icon (⚠) appears next to that information.
Candidate Experience
Education Verifications might be run as standalone screenings.
Candidates will be asked to submit their education history, including the highest level of education they achieved and the institution’s name and location. Candidates will also be asked for a copy of their high school diploma if that was the highest level of education they attained.
Candidates then acknowledge receipt of applicable forms and notifications, including the Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check.
After the candidate consents, Checkr initiates the verification process.
If the candidate lists information that can't be verified, they might need to submit transcripts as well.
If you've applied for a job and are looking for more information on your background check’s status or progress, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.