Sending Electronic Transcripts FAQs

• Provides a more secure delivery method than sending paper transcripts 
• Protects transcripts better than emailing them (the Clearinghouse NEVER emails transcripts)
• Prevents transcript tampering 
• Enables 24/7 transcript delivery worldwide 
• Decreases transcript printing/mailing and processing costs 
• Reduces call volume through instant status alerts emailed to sender/recipient 
• Saves staff resources while improving service 
• Speeds delivery/receipt of your students' transcripts

Yes. The Clearinghouse offers two ways to send electronic transcripts:

Transcript Ordering — for Your Students and Alumni
Transcript Ordering is essentially an online version of your transcript request form, complete with required fields, delivery options, and fees customized for you. You make it accessible to your students and alumni by providing a link to it from your Web site (if you participate in our Student Self-Service, we’ll add a Transcript Ordering link to it for you). You can manage your transcript requests using the tools on our secure Web site.

If you are able to produce PDFs of your transcripts, you can offer electronic delivery through your Transcript Ordering service. Students and alumni who select electronic delivery will be prompted to enter the email address for each recipient during the order process. As soon as you upload the PDF of the transcript to the Clearinghouse, recipients worldwide can access it 24/7.

Our service incorporates all the features you need to offer state-of-the-art online transcript ordering:

• Order collection and validation
• Credit card processing (all major credit cards accepted) 
• Ability to sign transcripts digitally
• Option to apply document controls to manage transcript access and usage after delivery
• Electronic, expedited, and standard delivery options (e.g., overnight delivery or regular mail)
• Consent form collection and archival
• Transcript request and real-time status tracking
• Automated email confirmations and updates
• Audit trail of all transactions
• Customer support for you, your students, and your alumni

Electronic Transcript Exchange — for Your Institution
Electronic Transcript Exchange (ETX) enables you to exchange transcripts with participating educational institutions and organizations via the Clearinghouse's secure FTP network. The Clearinghouse can create separate mailboxes for each department or office you want to receive transcripts (e.g., admissions office, records office, graduate school, etc.). If you send enrollment and degree files to the Clearinghouse, you can opt to use the same mailbox to send and receive transcripts. Each mailbox you establish is listed on our online registry, which indicates to other ETX users how to send transcripts to you, including the file formats you accept.

A unique ID code is assigned to each mailbox to ensure the transcript is delivered to the correct recipient. You can check our online registry to obtain the file types accepted by a particular recipient as well as their ID code, which you will use to name your file. When you are ready to send the transcript, you simply sign in and upload the file. The recipient will automatically receive an email that your transcript is ready for download. Whenever someone sends a transcript to you, you will receive an email with a link where you can login and retrieve the file. Authorized senders and recipients are validated before a transcript is exchanged. Transcript files are stored only in the recipient's secure FTP account and are automatically deleted after they expire. Both individual and batches of transcripts can be exchanged (see "Are Batch Exchanges Available?").

• Transcript Ordering allows you to securely transmit PDF files of your official transcripts. (PDF files are graphical formats that look like your paper-based transcripts.)
  
  
• Electronic Transcript Exchange allows you to securely transmit transcript data using any standard format (like XML or EDI). When you join our Electronic Transcript Exchange network, you select the formats you want to use to exchange files (e.g., XML, EDI, and PDF). The file types you accept are listed on our online registry so other users will know which formats they can use to send transcripts to you.

Yes. All PDFs delivered electronically via Transcript Ordering are ADA compliant, which enables recipients with screen readers to use our service and successfully ‘read’ the transcript data.

Yes. Electronic Transcript Exchange offers two options for exchanging batches of electronic transcripts:

• Upload/download batches of individual transcripts
• Consolidate transcripts into a single PDF or zipped file

If you offer electronic delivery through Transcript Ordering, you must be able to produce PDFs of your transcripts. 

To send files through Electronic Transcript Exchange, your records system must be able to produce a transcript in one of the file formats designated by the receiving institution. If you choose to receive XML or EDI files, some programming may be required in order for you to view or use the transcript data.

Yes.

Transcript Ordering
There is no cost for your institution to participate in Transcript Ordering. If you choose to offer electronic transcript delivery, you will be assessed a minimal fee for each transcript uploaded to our secure server, which you can choose to pass along to the requestor. Electronic transcripts can be uploaded at no charge if you use our new digital signature and document control options.

The cost for your students and alumni to send transcripts electronically or via any other method is determined by your institution. The Clearinghouse remits 100% of the transcript fees collected on your behalf after the close of each month and provides a detailed summary of the order history on our secure Web site. Requestors are also charged a small service fee to help offset operating costs.

Electronic Transcript Exchange
All U.S. colleges and high schools are eligible to receive transcripts for free via Electronic Transcript Exchange. Colleges that participate in our free Transcript Ordering service and high schools that participate in our StudentTracker for High Schools research service can also send electronic transcripts at no charge. Otherwise, the annual fee to send transcripts via Electronic Transcript Exchange is 10¢ times enrollment¹ for colleges and $500 a year for high schools.

¹Enrollment is equal to the fall enrollment (headcount) as reported to the federal government (IPEDS). Minimum annual fee is $300.

Yes. All Clearinghouse programs comply fully with FERPA. Additionally, the Clearinghouse employs multiple technical and other safeguards, including information security best practices and industry standards, to protect the student records in our care.

For questions or to obtain a Transcript Ordering and/ or Electronic Transcript Exchange agreement, please contact the Clearinghouse at service@studentclearinghouse.org.