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Transcript Frequently Asked Questions

How to 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, including Certified Electronic PDF transcripts, is $15 per transcript. Sales tax and additional mailing costs may be incurred.

How long will it take to process the request?

Transcript requests processed by SDSU take 3-5 business days to process and mail, the process may take longer during peak periods (i.e. beginning and end of each semester). Transcripts are mailed via United States Postal 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 will be processed within 2-3 business days of ordering.

Certified Electronic PDF transcripts are processed within 24-48 hours of your order.

Note: Transcript 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.

Are status updates available once transcripts have been requested?

To check the status of an order, log into Parchment and select the ORDERS tab in the upper right corner.

If all coursework was taken prior to fall 1987, email the Transcripts Unit at [email protected] to obtain the mail date.

Can a final grade or degree conferral hold be placed on transcript requests?

All orders fulfilled via Parchment are processed in real time and cannot be held for degree conferrals or final grades. Verify that all degrees and grades have been posted by reviewing the unofficial transcript prior to placing an order. No refunds will be issued or fees waived if a request is placed prior to the grades/degree being posted.

Can transcripts be expedited?

If all coursework was completed after fall 1987, official transcripts may be ordered via Parchment in electronic or paper format. Electronic transcripts are emailed within 24-48 hours from the day of the order. Paper transcripts can be mailed at an 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 a portion of the transcript be requested?

No. The transcript contains all coursework taken at SDSU up to the present date. Separate Undergraduate/Graduate transcripts are not sent.

What if an attachment needs to be included (application, forms, etc.) with the transcript?

When ordering paper transcripts through Parchment, attachments can be uploaded during the ordering process. To upload a document, after the address, email or mailing, has been entered, the ITEM DETAILS page will be displayed. Select the Add an Attachmentstrong> button to upload any documents you would like to be sent with your transcript. Here, any supporting documents can be added to be sent with the transcript.

If supporting documents need to be filled out by the Office of the Registrar, contact the Office of the Registrar prior to placing an order using the Contact Us Form. When completing the form, indicate that the required form needs to be sent back once it is filled out, so it can be attached when placing an official transcript order.

Can transcripts be picked up in person?

For same day transcripts, visit the Office of the Registrar during in-person service hours. The fee for the first transcript is $25 and $10 for any additional transcripts requested that same day.

When receiving a NOT ORDERABLE – "A hold on your student record is preventing placement of a transcript order" error message on Parchment.

The academic record is undergoing conversion from SDSU's legacy Student Information System to my.SDSU. This may have occurred for multiple reasons (record updates, applications for the current or upcoming term, etc.)

This hold will be released when the conversion of your record is complete. Please contact the Office of the Registrar for any further questions about this hold.

How to retrieve a RedID?

Send an email to [email protected] for additional information.

Attendance at SDSU is under a previous name.

When requesting an Official Transcript through Parchment, add the previous name in the appropriate field.

Attendance at SDSU is prior to 1987.

Official transcripts will need to be ordered by completing the Official Transcript Request Form and mailing it along with payment. Additional information may be needed to process the request.

Why are unofficial transcripts unavailable to alumni or previous students?

The CSU has mandated the de-provisioning of accounts for students who have not been enrolled for at least one year. This is to ensure system security and protect the data of every student in our system.

The recipient will not accept the transcript in this format, can the order be changed to a paper copy?

No. Ensure that the recipient will accept transcripts via PDF format prior to ordering. No refunds will be given if the recipient will not accept transcripts in this format. A new order will need to be submitted if a paper copy is needed.

Can the mailing address of the transcript be changed?

No. Review the email address to ensure it is correct. There are a number of opportunities prior to submitting your transcript request to review the email address. No refunds will be given for invalid email addresses. 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. Have the recipient check these folders if it does not show up in the inbox. The subject line to look for is: You received a document. If the email still cannot be located, email the Transcripts Unit at [email protected].

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. Make sure to type in the email address each time.
• Internet Browser: The settings/plugins in a particular browser may cause the error to come up. Try a different browser if you receive this error.

Why does it say the 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 the ability to download is no longer available. No further action can be taken with the order. If a transcript is needed, a new request will need to be made.

When applying to job sites/scholarships/etc. that require an electronic transcript to be uploaded, this error message is received: "Unable to upload because the file is encrypted." Why is this? What can be done?

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 to print the document, scan it, and save it as a regular PDF, then upload the document. Contact the recipient to verify that they will accept the transcript this way. They may require follow up by sending an electronic or paper transcript to them directly.