Prospects Hedd: a decade of protecting universities from degree fraud

Set up in response to growing concern about the effects of degree fraud, Prospects Hedd has made verification straightforward and helped shut down bogus universities - here are some highlights from the past ten years

Back in 2009, growing recognition of the impact degree fraud was having on businesses, universities and students led to the sector-wide development of a central UK verification service. Out of this collaboration between HEFCE (now the Office for Students) and Prospects, Hedd was launched ten years ago this October

Hedd immediately made the verification process so much more straightforward, delivering powerful efficiencies to recruiters and universities, and helping highlight and shut down bogus universities and fake degree providers.

Hedd stands for Higher Education Degree Datacheck but to thousands of employers, background screening agencies, embassies and universities across the globe, it is just Hedd, a short, simple word that stands for efficiency, security and speed.

Top ten Hedd highlights

Ten years on, we are proud of the progress Hedd and its global community of users have made to raise awareness of the importance of degree verification and drive out the fraudsters. Here are ten highlights from the last ten years we wanted to share with you.

1. Busted!

More than 300 bogus universities have been identified and 85 shut down.

2. National news

Prospects Hedd appeared on the front page of the Times newspaper and Jayne Rowley, executive director student services at Jisc, spoke about degree fraud on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.

3. Giving back to the sector

Since we began in 2011 more than £1 million has been shared with our Hedd university partners. We value our ability to provide an additional revenue stream for higher education providers.

4. Greater understanding

Students and graduates are far more aware now than they were ten years ago that degree fraud and embellishing their qualifications is not just frowned upon but is in fact illegal.

5. Fake Britain!

Appearing on the hard-hitting consumer show in 2014, Hedd brought degree fraud and fake certificates into the front rooms of the nation.

6. Qualification Fraud Awareness Week

For the past two years we have hosted the popular Qualification Fraud Awareness Week, providing valuable best practice information and engaging discussions via a series of webinars.

7. Advice and guidance for higher education providers

We are often asked 'what is degree fraud and how does it affect us?'. With support from the Office for Students and the Department for Education, we produced this degree fraud toolkit for institutions.

8. International reach

Thanks to our arrangement with the French degree repository Verifdiploma, Hedd users can verify French degree-holders through the system. Our partnership agreement with the Chinese government education agency CSCSE, meanwhile, means that all returning Chinese students are verified through Hedd before they start work.

9. 750,000 verifications processed

More than three quarters of a million students and graduates have started work or entered postgraduate study after having their degree credentials verified through Hedd.

10. Signatory to the Groningen Declaration Network

Hedd works with its peers across the globe to support international student mobility and verification best practice.

If you would like to find out more about how your institution can become a Hedd partner, saving time and resource whilst generating income, please get in touch.

Written by

Micha-Shannon Smith

Assistant information analyst

Prospects