See the Patterns Others Miss

Sentinel 360^SMhelps institutions identify risk associated with ghost student fraud, meet compliance obligations, and protect opportunities for legitimate students.

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Problem

Higher Education’s Growing Challenge

Ghost student fraud has rapidly evolved into one of the most significant challenges facing institutions today — and ghost students take more than financial aid. They take time, resources, institutional integrity, and opportunities meant for legitimate learners.

Institutions across the country are experiencing increased operational strain as teams work to review, validate, and respond to these emerging patterns.

Sentinel 360 gives institutions the broader visibility they need to understand what is happening beyond their own campus and help protect their reputation, integrity and, most importantly, opportunities for learners.

What Sentinel 360 Adds

Sentinel 360: The Missing Intelligence Layer

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National Scale Enrollment Visibility

Sentinel 360 delivers national-scale enrollment visibility by securely linking cross-institution enrollment signals into a single, continuously updated view that shows where applicants and students are engaging beyond your campus.

Pre-Disbursement Behavioral Signals

Sentinel 360 reveals pre-disbursement behavioral signals by surfacing application and enrollment behavior patterns before funds go out and flagging activity that looks inconsistent, high-risk, or coordinated—so teams can intervene early instead of chasing fraud after disbursement.

Pattern Detection Across Institutions

Sentinel 360 supports pattern detection across institutions by aggregating cross-campus activity and linking shared identifiers to surface repeat actors, coordinated behaviors, and anomalies that no single school can see on its own.

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How it Works

Earlier Visibility. Stronger Response.

Sentinel 360 enables institutions to respond quicker by providing early signals of potential fraud, often before funds are disbursed. Rather than reacting to individual cases, we draw on data across our nationwide network of higher education institutions. Sentinel 360 surfaces signals throughout the enrollment lifecycle from advanced registration through financial aid disbursement, helping institutions gain visibility earlier.

Identifying patterns sooner helps institutions reduce exposure, strengthen processes, and act confidently.

To participate in Sentinel 360, institutions need to use the Clearinghouse’s Enrollment Reporting, Advanced Registration, and DegreeVerify services.

Upload

Institution securely uploads student records individually or in batches.

Signal

Institution leverages Sentinel 360 to review patterns that may indicate the need for additional research and due diligence.

Review

Institution uses Sentinel 360 to review previous and current enrollment patterns associated with suspicious enrollment.

Identify

Institution is enabled to identify potential student fraud early.

Update

Sentinel 360 continues to provide institution with ongoing updates for students included in the institution’s cohort.

Maintenance

Institution’s Sentinel 360 cohort evolves with new advanced registration and enrollment data providing institution with consistent updates and insights.

Early Actionable Insights

How Sentinel 360 Works

For more than three decades, the National Student Clearinghouse has helped institutions understand enrollment and outcomes. Sentinel 360 builds on that foundation and extends the Clearinghouse trusted data infrastructure to support institutions in addressing emerging challenges.

Solution and Network Advantage

A National View Only
the Clearinghouse Can Provide

Sentinel 360 leverages the Clearinghouse nationwide data ecosystem to surface patterns and signals that may not be visible by a single institution.

As enrollment activity spans multiple institutions, this broader perspective is critical. Sentinel 360 brings forward insights derived from data already flowing through the Clearinghouse ecosystem, helping institutions take a closer look at activity that may warrant review.

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Surface patterns associated with cross-institution enrollment activity

Identify student contact information shared across institutions

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Highlight enrollment behaviors consistent with known risk signals

Provide patterns derived from a nationwide data network

The Clearinghouse Advantage

97%

of currently enrolled postsecondary students

130M+

enrollment records

~3,600

institutions

Extensive Institutional Coverage

The Clearinghouse covers nearly 3,600 institutions with >97% of active enrollments oﬀering unmatched visibility into enrollment patterns beyond any single campus.

Strong Compliance Infrastructure

The Clearinghouse’s compliance is built on decades of experience with Title IV, NSLDS integration, and federal requirements ensuring operational readiness.

Privacy and Data Security

The Clearinghouse adheres to FERPA, enabling lawful and secure data sharing among stakeholders.

Real-Time Reporting Efficiency

The Clearinghouse delivers real-time reports that reduce administrative burden and accelerate decision-making.

Who is it For

Built for Teams Across
Your Institution

Admissions

Stop fraudulent students before admission decisions are made.

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Registrars

Maintain data integrity and reporting accuracy across records.

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Financial Aid

Protect Title IV funds before disbursement to fraudulent applicants.

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Audit & Compliance

Audit logs record every action and access event, providing transparency and accountability throughout the system.

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Institutional Research

Flag suspicious activity to protect the accuracy of outcomes reporting.

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Trust and Authority

Built on a Trusted Foundation

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Does Sentinel 360 make automated decisions about students?

How does Sentinel 360 support our compliance and reporting obligations?

Is Sentinel 360 FERPA-compliant?

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"With visibility into 97% of active postsecondary enrollments, the Clearinghouse can surface signals and patterns no campus can see alone. Sentinel 360 turns that reach into actionable intelligence that helps protect aid, institutions, and legitimate students."