diff --git a/api/pom.xml b/api/pom.xml
index 12af4f40..130fa28f 100644
--- a/api/pom.xml
+++ b/api/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
     <groupId>ca.bc.gov.educ</groupId>
     <artifactId>educ-grad-graduation-report-api</artifactId>
-    <version>1.8.50</version>
+    <version>1.8.51</version>
     <name>educ-grad-graduation-report-api</name>
     <description>Grad Graduation Report API for GRAD team</description>
 
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/grad/report/model/dto/StudentSearchRequest.java b/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/grad/report/model/dto/StudentSearchRequest.java
index 2cebfa83..61c5ba80 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/grad/report/model/dto/StudentSearchRequest.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/grad/report/model/dto/StudentSearchRequest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import ca.bc.gov.educ.api.grad.report.util.EducGradReportApiConstants;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonFormat;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore;
 import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.Builder;
 import lombok.Data;
@@ -41,13 +42,13 @@ public class StudentSearchRequest implements Serializable {
     String activityCode;
     String localDownload;
 
+    @JsonIgnore
     public boolean isEmpty() {
-        return  schoolOfRecords.isEmpty() &&
-                districts.isEmpty() &&
-                schoolCategoryCodes.isEmpty() &&
-                pens.isEmpty() &&
-                studentIDs.isEmpty() &&
-                programs.isEmpty();
+        return  (schoolOfRecords == null || schoolOfRecords.isEmpty()) &&
+                (districts == null || districts.isEmpty()) &&
+                (schoolCategoryCodes == null || schoolCategoryCodes.isEmpty()) &&
+                (pens == null || pens.isEmpty()) &&
+                (studentIDs == null || studentIDs.isEmpty());
     }
 
 }