Office of the University Registrar

Transcript FAQs

Parchment FAQs

What are E-Transcripts?

The term E-Transcript refers to any transcript that is delivered to the recipient in an electronic format instead of being printed and mailed to the recipient. The availability of specific E-Transcript delivery options depends on the individual institution. This means that some institutions may offer one or more options for delivering your transcript electronically and other institutions may not offer any electronic options.

What does 'PDF Delivered Electronically to Recipient' mean?

This option, when presented on the order screen, means that the school from which you are ordering your transcript is capable of delivering transcripts in a PDF file format and the school you have selected to receive the transcript is participating in the Parchment and is able to receive PDF transcripts electronically from us.

What does 'PDF Downloaded by Recipient' mean?

This option, when presented on the screen, means that your transcript will be created as a PDF document and we will then notify the intended recipient that it is ready to be downloaded. This method is generally used when you have designated an individual or other non-educational institution who is not a participant in our network as the recipient.

What does this mean to me and why should I prefer this method of delivery over other methods such as 1st Class Mail or FedEx?

This option represents one of the fastest methods for delivering your transcript to the receiving institution. Using this option normally means that once the sending school has completed the processing of your order, it will be delivered much faster to the receiving institution. In addition, we will send you an email confirming the delivery so you will know immediately that your transcript has been received. With traditional “First-Class Mail”, there is no way to confirm that your transcript has been received.

When I receive the email acknowledgment, does it mean that the receiving institution has completed the processing of my transcript data?

Normally the receiving institution must still do additional work on your information before it actually appears in their student records system. For this reason, you might call the admissions office and they may still respond that your transcript is not in their system. However, if we have sent you an email acknowledgment, then you can rely on the fact that your transcript is in the possession of the receiving institution but possibly still being processed. Your email acknowledgment from us is similar to a delivery confirmation from the U.S. Post Office on an Express Mail or Priority Mail package. It is also like confirming delivery of a FedEx or UPS package by tracking it online.

My order was entered as 'PDF Delivered Electronically to Recipient' but it has been several days and I have not received an email acknowledgment that it has been delivered. What could have gone wrong?

Once your order is entered into our system, any of the following situations could be affecting the delivery of your transcript:

  1. All transcript orders require some form of authentication or authorization. If you were not originally authenticated by the sending institution at the time your order was placed or your order was eligible for “Automatic Authorization” but we could not match the information you provided to information in the institution’s student records system, then your order may be waiting on you to send in a signed Authorization Form. If this is the case, we will be sending you a reminder notice and a copy of an Authorization Form.
  2. It is possible that you have an outstanding obligation to the institution and this is preventing your order from being processed. If so, you should have received an email from us telling you about this problem and how to correct it.
  3. If you entered any of the student identifying data incorrectly (such as Social Security Number, date of birth, or student name) the institution’s staff may be having trouble locating your records.
  4. If you attended the institution prior to the time they began maintaining electronic records, then it is possible that you are given this option because you entered your from/to attendance years incorrectly on the order screen and the institution will be unable to complete your order electronically. This “PDF Delivered Electronically to Recipient” option only appears on our screens when both the “Attended From” and the “Attended To” years on the order form are later than the first year of electronic data maintained by the institution.
  5. If the email address that you entered on your order was incorrect or if your email provider is blocking our emails to you (mysupport@credentialssolutions.com), then you will not receive our notifications about problems with your order and will not receive our authorization reminder forms. Note: if you never received your order receipt email from us, then there may be a problem with the email address you provided and you should contact Parchment Customer Support & Chat.
  6. If you selected a “Hold for Grades” or “Hold for Degree” option on your order (if the institution offered such an option), then your order will typically not be completed until this information has been posted at the end of the term.

Can my 3rd Party PDF be uploaded to an application service?

The 3rd party PDF is encrypted for security purposes. The encryption cannot be removed. When submitting the PDF to an application service, not all services will allow for an encrypted PDF to be uploaded. In this circumstance the PDF would need to be printed, scanned, and then uploaded to the application service. PDF transcripts viewed electronically are recognized as official documents. A printed copy of a PDF Transcript will be considered “unofficial” and will display the words “PRINTED COPY” on all pages of the PDF.

How can I check the status of my order?

You may check the status of your order by going to Parchment Order Tracking and clicking the “Check the Status of My Order” link. You will need your original order number as well as the Student ID number or Social Security number that you entered on your order.

What are the costs of ordering a transcript?

Transcript Type Transcript Fee
per transcript
Printing Fee
per transcript
Shipping Fee
per recipient
PDF Delivered to Recipient $11
PDF Delivered to College/University $11
PDF Downloaded by Third-Party $11
Printed – 1st Class Mail $11 $2.40 $0
Printed – FedEx to 48 states $11 $2.40 $23
Printed – FedEx to Alaska/Hawaii $11 $2.40 $30
Printed – FedEx International $11 $2.40 $53

Transcript FAQs

Can I still order, pay, and pick up a paper transcript from my campus registration office?

No. This service has been discontinued on all three campuses. By using the Parchment online ordering system, which operates 24/7, it will actually be faster to order, pay, and now track delivery of your transcript order using Parchment’s online ordering service. This not only provides faster service to you, but allows us to provision transcripts while all three campus registration teams are currently not in the office and working in a telework environment.

What can I expect to have on my transcript?

Grades are explained on the UW Grading system webpage. Here is a sample UW transcript.

When are grades or degrees posted to transcripts?

Varies based on quarter & how quickly grades are received & how quickly the GARS office is able to process grades & degree applications.

How do GPAs appear on the transcript? What about repeated classes?

This information is explained on the UW Grading system webpage

Can a student request only undergrad, grad, law, med courses to appear on a transcript?

Students can choose to order their complete academic history or, if they attended as an undergraduate & as a graduate level/professional student, a record that lists only the graduate/professional level coursework.

Will holds impact ability to submit or process a transcript order?

Holds may be placed by the office of Community Standards and Student Conduct and the University Registrar, but will not be placed for financial debts owed to the University. Check Log into MyUW for information on individual holds.