Students who are rushing to send in their official transcript for a last-minute job application can now take advantage of an online feature that allows students to access their official electronic transcript within minutes.
This fall, Binghamton University joined a number of SUNY institutions that offer this service; through the BU registrar’s office, students can view, print and send their online transcript for a $5 fee. Previously, students could only access an unofficial transcript electronically or request a printed copy of their official transcript, which would often take days to process.
The new service is part of a SUNY-wide agreement; however, not every campus has worked through the process of getting it set up with the vendor. Donald Loewen, vice provost for undergraduate education and enrollment, said he anticipates that other SUNY campuses will continue to adopt the electronic transcript program.
“We anticipate that this trend will continue, since it makes sharing and using transcript information easier and more accurate,” Loewen said.
The feature is an expedited service through a third-party provider, which is why there is a fee. Paper transcripts can still be ordered at no cost, but if a student can’t wait for the three-to-five day turnaround, the expedited electronic transcript is much cheaper than paying for express shipping. In order to pay the fee, a valid credit or debit card must be used to fulfill the electronic order. The service accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover cards. BUC$ are not accepted.
Students can request an expedited electronic transcript by going to BU Brain, clicking on the “Your Records” tab, then on “Request Electronic Transcript.” The student then fills out personal contact information, recipient information and billing information. Even students who do not have access to BU Brain at certain times can request a transcript by clicking on a link on BU’s transcript services webpage.
“Binghamton wanted to ensure that we offered our students the most advanced and secure method for sending transcripts,” said Michael Trapani, assistant director for student records.
This new feature is ideal for students who need immediate access to their transcripts or those who need to send them to institutions that prefer to receive electronic versions. The official transcript can be sent within 10 minutes, even at times when the offices are closed, such as evenings, holidays or during winter intersession.
Attachments can also be uploaded by the student and sent with the transcript. The student will then receive an email notification once it has been sent and then another notification when the transcript has been received and viewed by the recipient.
Rachel Maiman, a senior double-majoring in political science and English, said she had considered using the new feature to help her apply for law school.
“I’m considering using it for the convenience of it,” Maiman said. “They have the electronic option, which is really easy. It does sketch me out that it costs $5. I feel like it would make more sense if they charged you to send it by paper, instead of online.”