File Description
The Name file will collect all of the information needed to submit records to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC)'s Student Tracker matching system and other research related matches.
Submission Schedule
This file can be submitted at any time during the year. For universities submitting for the first time in 2015-16, please submit records in the second half of the year to include the spring term.
Relationship to Other File Submissions
The NF has no relationship to other file submissions.
Data Fields
Field Names |
Field Attributes and Procedures |
Data Format |
Student Identifier |
Enter the federally assigned Social Security Number (SSN) whenever possible. If the SSN is unavailable, enter another identifier which uniquely relates to this student. |
Alphanumeric |
Institution Assigned Identifier Switch |
Enter Y if the student identifier is not a federally assigned Social Security Number. Enter N if the student identifier is the SSN assigned by the federal government. |
Alphabetic |
First Name |
Enter the student’s first name |
Alphabetic |
Middle Initial |
Enter the student’s middle initial. Do not use a period (.) |
Numeric |
Last Name |
Enter the student’s last name |
Alphabetic |
Name Suffix |
Enter the suffix for the student’s name, if applicable. Use letters and no periods (.) |
Alphabetic |
Date of Birth |
Enter in the student’s date of birth in this format: YYYYMMDD |
Numeric |
First Enrollment Date |
Enter in the first enrollment date for the student in this format: YYYYMMDD This date refers to the first date that NSC will look for the student's records. They will not return results prior to this date. |
Numeric |
Cohort Name of Records Submitted |
Enter in a name for the cohort represented by these records. This field is required by NSC but is not used by OBR. You can put whatever you want in this field to identify the "cohort" of students represented in each submission. |
Alphanumeric |
Delete Switch |
Enter Y if the record is to be deleted from the database. Otherwise, enter N. |
Alphabetic |
Definitions and Descriptions of Data Fields
Edit and Load Specifications
Revised May 14, 2014
Error Code |
Edit Message Text (Text that appears in primary edit results) |
Programming Logic |
011 |
Blank records are not allowed |
If there are blank record lines in the file submission |
013 |
The Delete Switch is not Y or N |
If Delete Switch is not Y or N |
017 |
This Student Identifier has more than one record |
If there is more than one matching Student Identifier in this submission and the Delete Switch of one is not set to Y |
018 |
Student Identifier is not a Social Security Number |
If the Institution Assigned Identifier Switch is N and the Delete Switch is N and the Identifier is numeric in each character position and the first three digits, or the fourth and fifth, or the sixth through ninth digits of the Identifier are zeroes, OR if the Institution Assigned Identifier Switch is N and the Delete Switch is N and the Identifier is numeric in each character position and the first three digits are 666 or 900 or above |
021 |
SSN is not numeric |
If Institution Assigned Student Identifier Switch is N and Student Identifier is not numeric in each character position |
022 |
Institution Assigned ID Switch is not Y or N |
If Institution Assigned Student Identifier Switch is not Y or N |
033 |
Delete Switch is Y but there is no record to delete |
If the Delete Switch is set to Y and there is not a matching Student Identifier for this institution in the Name File table |
035 |
There are non-blank characters beyond the allotted record length for this file |
If record is not 93 characters long |
|
|
|
070 |
Student Identifier is blank or not left justified |
If Student Identifier is blank in first character position |
301 |
This Institution Assigned Identifier is the same as a SSN in the Institution SSN table |
If Institution Assigned Student Identifier Switch is Y and the Student Identifier is in the Institution/SSN table for this institution and the table row has the Institution Assigned Switch as N |
302 |
This SSN is the same as an Institution Assigned Identifier in the Institution SSN table |
If Institution Assigned Student Identifier Switch is N and the Student Identifier is in the Institution/SSN table for this institution and the table row has the Institution Assigned Switch as Y |
986 |
Suffix is not blank or alphanumeric |
If Name Suffix is not blank in all characters positions and first character position is blank |
991 |
Student is not at least 12 as of submission date |
If Date of Birth is not greater than or equal to 12 years from the submission year or is negative |
993 |
First Name is blank or non-alphabetic |
If First Name is blank in the first character position |
1AA |
Middle Initial is not blank or not alphabetic |
If Middle Initial is not blank or not an alpha character |
1AB |
Last Name is blank in first character position |
If Last Name is blank in first character position |
1AC |
Date of Birth makes student’s age greater than or equal to 120 |
If Date of Birth is greater than or equal to 120 years from the submission year |
1AD |
Cohort Description of Records Submitted field is blank or blank in first character position |
If the Cohort Description of Records Submitted field is blank or blank in first character position |
1BS |
Date of Birth is blank, non-numeric or has invalid values |
Date of Birth is blank, non numeric or has invalid values |
1CZ |
First Enrollment Date is blank, not numeric or has invalid values |
If the First Enrollment Date is blank, non-numeric or invalid |
1DA |
Name Suffix contains numbers or non-alpha characters |
If the Name Suffix uses numeric or non-alpha characters |
C28 |
Warning: Last Name field may contain suffix |
If a space is found in the Last Name field anywhere after the first character |