Initiative Origin & Context

The NSPA Scholarship Program Exchange stores data aligned to a data model and accompanying technical specifications, collectively referred to as the NSPA Scholarship Program Data Standard. In 2020, the scholarship community, prospective NSPA Exchange contributors, and data services clients expressed interest in providing input to guide future versions of the NSPA Data Standard.

Although the NSPA Exchange data system was the spark that created this data standard initiative, the Scholarship Program Data Standard itself is meant to serve a broad set of scholarship program data exchange scenarios — of which the NSPA Exchange is just a single example.

Initiative Description

The NSPA is hosting an initiative with the scholarship community to foster the development of a data standard for defining and sharing scholarship program information. Success could simplify life for scholarship providers and their technology partners, support reporting and research, and improve the scholarship search and application process for students.

The initiative itself will leverage expertise from NSPA members to:

• Define & standardize a scholarship program data model (and data elements) available to the scholarship community.

• Develop efficient methods for the exchange of scholarship data between systems.

• Provide a robust reference design to simplify the implementation of scholarship information systems.

• Support the scholarship community in establishing sensitive, inclusive language to describe program elements and characteristics of the students we serve.

Participation & Time Commitment

Participants in the initiative can help by providing input on the technical and nontechnical aspects of scholarship data exchange.

• The NSPA is committed to minimizing the time required of participants. A time commitment measured in person-hours, not person-days, will be appropriate for many organizations. We are, of course, happy to accept additional time.

• The initiative coordinates and hosts multiple working groups, each focused on a specific aspect of the scholarship information space. NSPA members with subject matter expertise to offer are encouraged, but not required, to participate in group meetings and the drafting and review of material.

Current Status

As of Q2-2021, we have convened a charter group meeting, confirmed notional interest among NSPA members, and are actively developing specifications with input from initiative participants. In addition, an initial set of working groups have been established and have conducted one or more meetings. The NSPA team continues to define processes and expand options for input and feedback.