General questions relating to Hedd

Who is Hedd intended for?

The service provided by Hedd is for employers and recruitment agencies to verify the UK degree qualification of candidates. Notaries, embassies and councils can also use this service. Hedd cannot be used by candidates to verify their own awards.

I am the candidate. How do I verify my own award?

Students and graduates can confirm their own degree through their university. Most universities provide this service online. If you email or call one of the institutions registered to Hedd, please explain it is your own award that you wish to verify so that you are not sent back to Hedd.

What does Hedd verify?

Hedd does not provide information. It verifies a candidate's qualification based upon the supply of the following information: full name, date of birth, dates of attendance, university, course title, qualification type and degree classification.

How much does a verification cost? How is payment made? Can I make a bulk purchase?

Most Hedd verifications cost £14. This fee is a flat rate regardless of what information you require or the response you get to your enquiry. You can top up your account with as much credit as you require with each purchase. Payment is made online via card. We currently only accept bulk orders for credits in multiples of £150.

Which universities use Hedd?

An up-to-date list of the institutions using Hedd can be found on the bottom of the Hedd homepage.

Can I verify a current student?

Different universities have different policies regarding current students. Of the institutions currently registered to Hedd, The University of Manchester, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Nottingham, University of Salford, Imperial College London and the University of East London all verify current students. All information except degree classification can be returned for a current student.

What about universities that aren't registered with Hedd?

Hedd provides contact details for all UK higher education institutions. Hedd also tells enquirers which university holds the records for institutions that don't exist anymore. The look-up service is accessible from the homepage without registration being required. It is also accessible on the enquirer dashboard once you have registered an account.

How do I register an account? Is there a cost to register?

You can register an account here. There is no cost to register.

How do I unlock my account?

If you have just registered an account and you are unable to access it, the most likely explanation is that it hasn't been activated yet. Check your emails to see if you have been provided with a link to activate the account yourself.

Please be aware that if you have registered using a personal email account your account may have to be manually activated by a Hedd administrator and we will contact you to confirm your details.

If your account has been activated and you have subsequently been locked out, please contact us and we can reset your account.

I only require dates of attendance. Do I still need to pay the full fee?

Yes. The fee of £14 (or more) is for the enquiry itself regardless of the verification sought.

Can I verify a transcript or other documents with this service?

No. Hedd only verifies the degree itself and/or dates of attendance. Hedd does not have provide individual grade breakdowns and can not verify transcripts or letters of acceptance.

I am the candidate and my employer/agency won't pay to run this verification. Can I pay for it myself?

No. Hedd does not permit candidates to verify their degree credentials and it has not been established with the purpose of requiring candidates to pay for verifications. This is entirely the responsibility of the employer or other enquiring agency.

I need the verification to come on a headed letter, will this be possible?

It is not possible for Hedd to provide verification on headed paper or digital equivalents. Universities use Hedd because it is the official and standard degree verification system. A Hedd verification is authentic and reliable and institutional involvement in the service obviates the need for additional proofs of authenticity.

Can I make a free enquiry?

Employers and agencies have to pay to use Hedd. Universities registered with the service do not have to pay for enquiries. Embassies that have funded a student up to and during their university career do not pay for enquiries. If you think that you are eligible to make free enquiries, contact us with your surname, forename and email address so that we can locate your account.

Who operates Hedd?

Hedd is a Jisc enterprise. Jisc is a registered charity (number 1149740) and a company limited by guarantee which is registered in England under company number 05747339, VAT number GB 197 0632 86. Jisc's registered office is: 4 Portwall Lane, Bristol, BS1 6NB. Jisc Services Limited is a wholly owned Jisc subsidiary and a company limited by guarantee which is registered in England under company numbe0288102433, VAT number GB 197 0632 86. The registered office is: 4 Portwall Lane, Bristol, BS1 6NB.

Why is there a cost to use Hedd?

The enquiry charge contributes to the cost of maintaining and developing the system and processing enquiries.

How far back does Hedd's data go?

Hedd covers all recognised degree-awarding bodies, including merged institutions, name changes and new institutions, as reported to HESA from 1990 onwards.

Making an enquiry

What is the consent form?

The consent form is a document that is signed and dated by the candidate to confirm that they are consenting to a degree verification taking place. Usually this is just a scan of the agreement made with the candidate and uploaded as a PDF file. Not all institutions require the candidate's consent.

How do I enter the details on the enquiry form?

The details required can all be located on the candidate's degree certificate. Access to the candidate's degree certificate is necessary in order to minimise the likelihood of inputting errors taking place. Note that the candidate's name at the time of graduation should be entered. The enquiry form splits the required details into sections. Be sure not to repeat the qualification type in the course title field.

How do I enter a classification?

The classifications can be entered as they appear on the certificate. This would usually be expressed using the grading system of 1, 2:1, 2:2 but can also be expressed as words. For example, "2:1" can be entered as "Second Class Honours (1st Division)". For other courses the classification could be a "pass", "merit" or "distinction".

If you are unsure of how to enter any of the details on the enquiry form, please contact us.

What is automatic verification and how do I get it?

Automatic verification is received only when the details inputted by the enquirer have an exact match with the details on the records. Please be careful when entering degree information to increase the likelihood of the verification being automatically verified.

What is manual verification and what is the turnaround time?

Manual verification takes place if there is no exact match for an automatic verification. This means that the enquiry has been sent on to the university for their administration staff to locate the record. The response time for this is usually 3-7 days after an enquiry has been made.

My enquiry has been returned as "not verified", what does this mean and do I get a refund?

An enquiry can be returned as not verified for a number of reasons. The most common reason is the information provided was not clear enough to locate the record. In this circumstance the certificate is required for the university to double check their records.

A result can also be returned as "unable to verify", this is typically where the candidate has outstanding university fees. The university will withhold any information until they have settled these fees. In this circumstance it is the candidate's responsibility to contact the university to settle whatever dispute it is that they have.

The final reason that a result could be returned as not verified is that the candidate does not have the qualification they have claimed to have. In any of these circumstances, we do not offer a refund.

I've made a mistake when entering the details to an enquiry, can I edit this?

Enquiries cannot be edited once they have been submitted so please take care when entering the details for an enquiry. If you have made a mistake or later learn that the information you submitted was incorrect you can contact us and we will forward the correct information to the university.

There's a discrepancy between the information the candidate has provided and the information the university has verified, how do I address this?

You can contact us, providing the name of the candidate, the reference number for the enquiry and some form of documentation from the candidate with the correct information. We can then forward this to the university and contact you with clarification, without you needing to contact the university.

What should I do if I don't understand the response I have received?

If you have any queries regarding this service you can contact us and will receive a response within one working day. Please provide as much information regarding your query as possible to ensure your query can be answered.

This verification is urgent, is there any way I can speed up the process?

No, there is no way to bypass the turnaround time on Hedd. This allows the service to run fairly as enquiries are seen to in the order they are submitted.