Student Identity Verification: Ensuring Authenticity In Education

Key Outcomes

• The primary goal of Student Identity Verification is to ensure the authenticity of students for registering a course or certification
• Student IDV in Distance Education is important for international students as it builds trust in online education. Universities. Colleges and other institutions should implement updated regulatory compliance standards.

Identity Verification is an important and mandatory step in every sector nowadays. Since the KYC and AML regulations have become mandatory in most industries, the Education sector is also regulated. Today we shall explain Student Identity Verification in distance education.

Student Identity Verification: An Overview

Almost every institution has KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti Money Laundering) compliance regulatory system. But its importance increases in distance education because of the threat of identity theft and terrorism. Therefore, the Verification of Student Identity in distance education is mandatory for international students.

What is Distance Learning

As the name suggests, Distance education is provided remotely to students who are not physically attending the institution. They use online means of taking lectures and notes and then appear in the online examinations. Especially, after the COVID-19 pandemic Distance Education became one of the most trending ways to educate students. In Distance Education, students enroll in international universities and colleges mostly for advanced education. From Registration to Enrollment and Attendance, all the Documentation is done online via a website, email, or other available channels. This facilitates the students as well as campuses to onboard as many students as they can manage remotely.

Benefits of Distance Learning

The top benefits of distance learning are listed below:

• Independent Location
• Cost Saving
• Access to the Emerging Technologies
• Broader educational spectrum
• Flexibility in learning and time
• Comfortable setting
• Wider learning scope

Apart from these, there are many compliance-related benefits of distance learning. Here Student KYC is a concept that needs a gloss.

Why Student Identity Verification is conducted?

With rising inflation and economic instability, students are falling back on cost-saving options for education. Institutions also realize the importance of paperless practices in education and have shifted to online learning. In this case, Student Identity Verification becomes necessary for students who are not physically present. Here are some of the main reasons for conducting Online Student Identity Verification.

• Fast & Secure Student Verification
• Error-Free Identification & Authentication
• Remote and Cost-saving Student Onboarding
• Online Student Profile Management
• Safety in Data Storage

Previously, manual student verification took at least 10 to 15 days to complete. It is also known as In-Person Student ID Verification. This process is iterative for every semester and is irritating. It also hindered many students’ performance as security checks, filters manual entries and other nuisances made it difficult for students to manage along with the study pressure. That is not all as data theft, identity theft, misuse of information, and ransomware attacks were also common before the introduction of eIDV (electronic Identity Verification) solutions. Now Online Student IDV has facilitated them and reduced the hassle to a minimum.

Benefits of Student Identity Verification Solutions

Firstly, remote Student IDV solutions are an easy and fast way of student onboarding. It safeguards sensitive information about students and cuts-off the storage expenses by 60 to 85%. These IDV solutions are AI-based that increases the accuracy of authentication processes. The benefits of AI-Based Student IDV are numerous and include:

• Increased Security
• Enhanced Efficiency
• Improved User Experience
• Reduced Fraud and Risk
• Cost Saving

Requirements for Student Identity Verification

At the City University of New York, highly value Distance and Correspondence Education. It has specified the Student IDV for international students and made it a secure and fast process. It stresses the use of AI technology for the entirety of the onboarding process. Following are the key areas on which CUNY is focused:

• Importance of Social Presence through Self-presentation and transactional interaction online
• Use of e-Portfolios
• Use of Student Photos, Videos in terms of self-introduction
• Online Participation in Learning Communities
• Groups and Teamwork
• Ensuring that Plagiarism-free work is submitted online
• Video Conferencing (Synchronous and Asynchronous)

Another notable example is Lebanon Valley College. It has a defined policy for Student Identity Verification in Distance Education. These Policy procedures include the following postulates:

• The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance of Lebanon Valley College with HEOA (Higher Education Opportunity Act) US.
• All courses and programs must verify the student registering for that course or program.
• Multiple methods shall be used to verify the actual identity of the student including
  • Individual’s Login ID and Password
  • Examinations
  • Effective technologies and practices in verifying student identity
• The policy also inculcates compliance standards for students where students need to comply with the password policy and verification of identity standards.
• Mainly, the responsibility for college-wide implementation of this policy rests with the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
• Student Privacy shall be maintained at all times as Lebanon Valley College complies with (FERPA) Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Student Identity Verification in Distance Education is mandatory for all institutions that offer distance learning. AI-based IDV has merged the identity verification procedures for students. These include biometric data, facial recognition, and other sophisticated technologies for the efficient authentication of students. Furthermore, KYC AML Guide can be a source of valid and updated information for institutions seeking eIDV services. Last but not the least, Student Identity Verification is necessary to mitigate financial crimes such as Money Laundering, Fraud, and Terrorism funding. It builds integrity and maintains the trust of students in online education.