This is a great question for those of you with graduating teens! If you’ve collected college credits on a college transcript (or many transcripts), this will become part of your “to-do” list for enrollment (aka matriculation).
Official High School Transcript (current and final): comes from the homeschool parent/administrator (you) and is sent directly to future colleges. Their current incomplete high school transcript is usually part of their application package to EVERY college they apply to. Since final courses are “in progress,” their future college will need a final version once they’ve received their final grades. Once you’ve settled on ONE final college for after high school, you will send them a final (finished) high school transcript that is signed and dated by you.
Extra official: Every now and again, a parent will tell me that a college has asked for something extra. The two most common “extras” we hear about are notary and “sealed envelopes.” A notary seal is a simple stamp by a notary validating you are who you say you are. Many banks and mailbox locations do this for free. If you’re sending a paper copy, this step is easy enough. The second “extra” is a “sealed envelope,” which can be accomplished by your signature over the envelope seam. Once your final high school transcript is inside the envelope, sign the sealed part to include your name: “Official homeschool transcript, Jennifer Cook-DeRosa.” Both of these extras can easily be done by the parent.
Official Dual Enrollment Transcripts: These come directly from the dual enrollment college(s) and must be requested by the student. There is often a quick “transcript request” button on a college’s website, but if you can’t find it, your teen can simply call or email for guidance. You can’t request these records for your teen, even with a FERPA waiver. The dual enrollment transcripts shouldn’t arrive “ahead” of your teen, which is to say you should only send these to colleges she/he has applied to. Once your teen has applied, they have an admissions file “open,” and records can be received. If applicable, you’ll also request official college credit providers. CLEP, AP, DSST, and Credly (all ACE credits), and NCCRS providers. Double-check that you haven’t missed anything! Most colleges require ALL records even when college credit isn’t expected to be awarded to the student.
The most important difference between sending a high school transcript and a college transcript is that the college transcripts can’t touch you. They have to go directly from one institution to the other institution. In this case, it “hops” over your homeschool. If you send or forward any of these records, email or hard copy, the college will classify them as unofficial and you’ll have to do it again.
Fees. There may be a fee associated with this process. Expect to pay a college or third-party $0-$20 per transaction. *pro tip* when applying to colleges, unofficial records are usually fine. Take advantage of that “freebie” because later, when you’ve settled on a college, you will have to pay for official records to be sent- no reason to do that twice!
Third-party processing. While some colleges handle this themselves, it’s possible that the DE college has outsourced transcript processing to an outside company. A popular one is Student Clearinghouse. If you’re redirected to Student Clearinghouse, follow the instructions on the screen and proceed with your request. You will have the option of buying an official copy for yourself. If you don’t already have a transcript from the DE college and can’t access one for free from your student’s portal, you may want to take advantage of this opportunity for your records.
