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Transcript Frequently Asked Questions

How do I request a transcript?
Official transcripts may be requested online, by mail, or in person. Go to the transcripts page for more information.
How much does a transcript cost?
The fee to order official transcripts is $15 per transcript. Additional mailing costs may be incurred.
How long will it take to process my request?
Transcript requests processed by SDSU take 3-5 business days to process and mail, unless there is a hold on your university record. Please be aware that the process may take longer during peak periods (i.e. beginning and end of each semester). Transcripts are sent via the regular United States Postal Mail Services. San Diego State University has no control over the delivery time of the mail, within the U.S. or internationally. Transcript requests processed by Parchment, Inc. will be mailed within 1 business day of ordering. Please note that transcripts requests are not processed or mailed on the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
How will I be notified on the status of my transcript request?
An email is sent to notify you of the date your transcript was placed in the mail. If all of your coursework was taken prior to fall 1987 or the email we have on file is no longer used, you may call the Registrar’s Office to obtain the mail date.
How do I place a grade or degree hold on my transcript request?
All orders fulfilled via Parchment, Inc are processed in real time and cannot be held for degree or grades. Please verify that all degrees and grades have posted by reviewing your unofficial transcript prior to placing your order.

You may request a paper transcript to be held for grades or degree by submitting the Official Transcript Request Form by mail along with payment.

Can I request that my transcript be expedited?
If all coursework was completed after fall 1987, official transcripts may be ordered via Parchment, Inc in electronic or paper format. Electronic transcripts are emailed to the recipient within the same day of the order. Paper transcripts can be mailed, at additional, cost via FedEx for faster delivery.

If any coursework was completed prior to fall 1987, expedited paper transcripts can be requested as follows:

  1. Complete the Official Transcript Request Form
  2. Include a postage paid United States Postal Service Express or Priority Mail envelope (no other express mail options are accepted) to be used by the Registrar’s Office to mail the transcript
  3. Mail the form, payment, and postage paid envelope to the address provided on the request form via USPS Express or Priority Mail envelope.
Can you send just a portion of my transcript?
No. The transcript contains all course work you have taken at SDSU up to the present date. We do not send out separate Undergraduate/Graduate transcripts.
What if I need to send an attachment (application, forms, etc.) with my transcript?
When ordering a hard copy paper version of your transcript through Parchment, attachments can be uploaded during the ordering process. You will see the Attachment (Optional) text next to a Browse Button after you submit the mailing address. This is where you can upload any supporting documents to be sent with your transcript.

If you require a supporting document be filled out by the Registrar’s Office, please contact the Registrar’s Office using the the Registrar's Contact Us Form. When filling out the form, indicate that you require the form to be sent back to you once it is filled out, so that you can attach it when placing your official transcript order.

Can I pick up transcripts?
If you’re in need of a same day transcript, please come to the Office of the Registrar during our in-person service hours listed on our home page. The fee for the first transcript is $25 and $10 for any additional transcripts requested that same day.
How much does a Certified Electronic PDF transcript cost?
The fee to order official transcripts is $15 per transcript.
How long will it take to process my request?
Certified Electronic PDF transcripts are processed within 24 hours of your order.
How do I place a grade or degree hold on my transcript request?
The ability to hold a transcript until your grades or degree is posted is not available for the electronic format. Please confirm posting of degrees/final grades before ordering by viewing your unofficial transcript, not on Blackboard or My Grades.
Can you send just a portion of my transcript?
No. The transcript contains all course work you have taken at SDSU up to the present date. We do not send out separate Undergraduate/Graduate transcripts.
What if I need to send an attachment (application, form, etc.) with my transcript?
When ordering certified electronic PDF transcripts, attachments which need to accompany a transcript may be uploaded at the time of the request and will be included with the transcript when delivered electronically.

If you require a supporting document be filled out by the Registrar’s Office, please contact the Registrar’s Office using the the Registrar's Contact Us Form. When filling out the form, indicate that you require the form to be sent back to you once it is filled out, so that you can attach it when placing your official transcript order.

What Restrictions are Associated with a Certified Electronic PDF?
As an authentic PDF, this document has embedded restrictions specified by the creator that may or may not allow for the following:
  • Printing of the document
  • Alteration of context
  • Copying and extracting content
  • Limited viewing privileges
  • Uploading the document
During the ordering process, I am unable to proceed and keep being looped back to the first screen and/or I get logged out of the Web Portal.
This issue is seen with those students that are using Safari when ordering transcripts. Please try using other browsers, such as Google Chrome or Firefox if you come across this problem.
The recipient will not accept the transcript in this format, so can I change my order to a paper copy?
No. It is your responsibility to ensure that the recipient will accept transcripts via PDF format prior to ordering. No refunds will be given if recipient will not accept transcripts in this format. A new order will need to be submitted if a paper copy is needed.
I would like to change the email address that the transcript is going to. Can I do that?
No. It is your responsibility to ensure that the email address is correct. There are a number of opportunities prior to submitting your transcript request for you to review the email address. No refunds will be given for invalid email address. A new order will need to be submitted if the transcript needs to be sent to a new email address.
What if the transcript has not been received?
The transcript delivery email may have been filtered into the spam/junk folder. Please have the recipient check these folders if it does not show up in the inbox. The subject line to look for is: San Diego State University Access Document #. If the email still cannot be located, please email the Transcripts Unit at [email protected].
How do I obtain the pass code?
To obtain the pass code, go back to the transcript delivery email that you received. The subject line should be: "San Diego State University: Access Document #". From there, select the link within that email and it will bring you to the page that asks you for the pass code.
  • Do not enter anything into the pass code field, just select the NEXT button
  • An email containing the pass code is automatically generated and sent to the same email address the initial email was sent to.
    • If the email is not seen in the inbox, please check spam/junk folders in the chance that the email was filtered there. The subject line looks similar to San Diego State University Transcript Access Code for Document # 123456.
  • Once the pass code is received:
    • Go back to the original delivery email.
    • Select the link within that email, which will bring up the page asking for a pass code.
    • Now enter the pass code in the proper field and select the NEXT.
    • The secured download site should now be seen.
During the ordering process, it says the email address is invalid.
This error may come up for the following reasons:
  • Copy/Paste of email address: Often due to font or the encoding used on the site it is copied from, hidden characters may be included. Please make sure that you are typing in the email address each time.
  • Internet Browser: The settings/plugins in a particular browser may cause the error to come up. Please try a different browser if you receive this error.
During the ordering process, when I type in a search destination and then select search, nothing happens.
If you are using Internet Explorer 11 and the search button does not work, you will need to check that Parchment.com is in the Compatibility view list. If not, it will need to be added.
  • Tools > Compatibility View Settings > Add This Website
When I view my transcript, the PDF is blank?
When viewing your transcript in your web browser, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Plugin installed. To view your transcript on your computer, you must have Adobe Reader installed.
A blank PDF usually occurs if the user is opening the document on a Mac. The application "Preview.app" will generally be the default PDF viewer on a Mac. The most recent version of the free Adobe Reader must be used to open the certified PDF (Mac or PC), no other reader will work. After installing the Adobe Reader program, it is recommended that the computer be restarted so that it installs correctly.
Please make sure that when you are viewing the transcript, it says Adobe in the top left corner of your screen and not Preview or any other PDF viewer.
Tech Support has provided a link to Setting Adobe Acrobat as the default PDF reader in Mac OS X that gives directions on how to set Adobe Reader as the default PDF viewer on a Mac, if needed.
I am receiving a "Failed to load PDF document" error?
If you have received a "failed to load PDF document" error, you may want to check the settings, if you are using the following browsers. The document is defaulting to the browsers PDF viewer instead of Adobe. Follow the steps below to change your browser settings.

Firefox

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. Select Firefox > Options > Applications.
  3. Select Portable Document Format (PDF).
  4. Under Action, change the default viewer from Preview in Firefox to Adobe Reader.

Chrome

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. With Google Chrome open, select the menu button located to the right of the address bar at the top of the browser.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
  4. Type the word PDF in the Search settings bar, then select Content settings under Privacy and security.
  5. Scroll down and select PDF Documents.
  6. Turn on the option for Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome.

Additional suggested solutions are to clear your browser cookies/cache and or also trying downloading the document using a different browser from the ones mentioned above.

Why does it say my transcript is no longer available for download?
The download link is only available for 30 days from the date that a transcript was ordered. If no action has been taken by the recipient, an automated reminder email is sent to the recipient and requester three days before the last day the link will expire to remind them that there is a document to download. If no further action is made after the reminder email has been sent, the download link will expire and the ability to download is no longer available. We cannot perform any further action with the order. If a transcript is needed, a new request will need to be made.
I am applying to job sites/scholarships/etc. that requires me to upload an electronic transcript, but when I do, I receive this error message: "Unable to upload because the file is encrypted." Why is this? What do I do now?
Some application sites, for example USAJobs, do not allow secure PDFs to be uploaded. The encryptions on the document cannot be removed. It is suggested that you print the document, scan it, and save it as a regular PDF you should be able to upload then. Please contact the recipient to verify that they will accept the transcript this way. They may require you to follow up by sending an electronic or paper transcript to them directly.