Data Quality Best Practices

Disbursements Team
March 2, 2026
Illustration of secure data flow from a bank to a laptop showing refund confirmation on screen.

Data Quality Best Practices for Schools

Accurate and up-to-date student data is critical to ensuring timely refunds, secure identity verification, and a smooth experience for students. The guidance below outlines the key data elements we rely on and best practices to help avoid delays, failed verifications, and additional support outreach.

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Why This Matters

High quality data helps:
  • Improve student and university disbursements experience
  • Ensure fraud detection systems are optimized for a streamlined student identification process
  • Protect your students and institutions from fraud
  • Reduce follow-up requests and support calls

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Key Data Fields We Rely On

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Legal First and Last Name Use exact spelling as it appears on government-issued ID (no nicknames).
Date of Birth Standard Format: YYYYMMDD (Please contact Client Support before making any updates to current file formatting).
Address Complete and current mailing address.
Email Address Provide institution-issued email address for each student whenever possible.
Mobile Phone Number Used for secure, one-time passcode (OTP) verification and faster issue resolution. If unavailable, leave the field blank — do not use placeholders (e.g., zeros).

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Best Practices for Data Submission

  • Submit updates weekly, when possible, to ensure the most current information is available.
  • Include both new and updated student records, not just new students.
  • Avoid placeholders; include optional fields when available to support identity verification.
  • Follow published field length and formatting requirements.

 

Common Issues to Avoid

  • Misspelled or swapped first and last names
  • Incorrect dates of birth
  • Invalid or placeholder email addresses or phone numbers

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These issues can result in delayed refunds, failed verification, and increased student outreach.

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Need Help?

If you have questions about file requirements or data submission best practices, please contact Client Support or your Relationship Manager.