New system provides option to pay to electronically order copies of transcript

Pitt instituted a new system for ordering transcripts this summer, which will abolish the long…Pitt instituted a new system for ordering transcripts this summer, which will abolish the long lines at Thackeray Hall. But the new convenience comes with a price.

Pitt’s new system for ordering transcripts, initiated on June 5, will be faster, more convenient and will offer transcripts in PDF form. But, for the first time since 2005, the process will cost students money.

The old method of obtaining transcripts required students to go to Thackeray Hall and request a physical copy that could also be mailed to a specified location.

Under the old system, many graduating students began to find that employers and graduate schools were requesting electronic transcripts, which Pitt did not provide, according to Carol Miller, the supervisor of transcripts and certifications. She said the Registrar’s Office was inundated with requests to make the process more convenient.

After two years of investigation on the subject and a close look at three third-party companies, the Registrar’s Office, in collaboration with the regional campuses and CSSD, settled on Avow Systems Inc., a software and document security company, to rework its system.

“We took our time, and we went with the high end,” Miller said, referring to the cost and quality of the vendor.

The new system will allow students to send an electronic transcript or request a transcript be mailed any time of day from anywhere in the world by using the student portal for current students or the Registrar’s Office website for former students. An electronic transcript will cost $5, a mailed transcript will cost $6 and an enrollment verification will cost $3.50. Students can still opt to get a physical copy of their transcripts for free by going to Thackeray Hall, but the Registrar’s Office will no longer mail them.

The Avow system also offers a tracking service. For an extra $1.99, students can see when their mailed transcript has arrived and when their electronic transcript was opened.

Miller said the new system is also faster. With Avow, a mailed transcript will usually arrive in 1-2 business days instead of the average 3-5 under the old system. Electronic transcripts will usually arrive in just a few hours.

The online system also gives students the option to add an attachment to their electronic transcript, such as a resumé, a cover letter or test scores.

“We’re excited about it, and we think students will be excited about it,” Miller said of the new system. “We’re keeping up with the times.”

But some students are uneasy about having to pay for a service which was previously free.

Pitt junior Juliana Tambellini said she has always found it convenient to go to Thackeray Hall for her transcript.

“This just seems like one of those basic services that they should provide for free,” she said.

Travis Wisor, assistant University registrar and information resources manager, said Pitt worked hard to keep student costs down.

“We feel like this is a reasonable price,” Wisor said.

And when compared with other universities, it is. Temple University charges $8.25 for similar services and Penn State charges $9.

Wisor said many at the Registrar’s Office feel that the price is a small one to pay for the step forward in convenience and flexibility.

“Our office is still available,” Wisor said. “This is just an extension of the services that our office already offers.”