If you are applying for jobs, additional education, scholarships, grants, or loans, you may need to provide official educational transcripts. In some cases, you can supply them directly, but in other cases, you may need to have your school send them directly.
In some cases, you may need to update the name or gender marker to reflect your new information.
High school transcripts and diplomas
To get your high school transcript updated, you may need to provide documents showing you have had a legal name or gender change, like a passport, birth certificate, court order for name change, or a letter from your healthcare provider.
For minors
- You will need your parent or legal guardian to help you with this if you are a minor:
- in high school
- who graduated high school
- who left high school without graduating
For emancipated minors and adults who have not graduated
- You do not need permission from a parent or guardian.
For emancipated minors and adults who have graduated
- After you graduate, you can simply contact your school for instructions on how to update your records. Most public schools are legally required to do this, but some private schools may not be.
GED
If you passed a General Educational Development (GED) or high school equivalency instead of graduating from high school, you can get your name changed in the records and get revised copies. To get your GED records updated, you typically must provide certified copies of one or more of the following documents
- Court Order For Name Change
- Marriage License or Divorce Decree with new name
- Valid Driver’s License / State ID, Consulate ID or Passport
- Social Security card with new name
Contact the official testing center where you took the test for their requirements.
College or trade/professional school
Be sure to tell them to make changes in all databases, as some schools and departments may keep separate records. You can learn more about your school’s policies by contacting the alumni office or registrar or administrative office for information. In some cases, it may take some time to resolve all issues.
While attending
- If you are in college or trade/professional school and transitioning, that is the best time to get your college transcript revised. Do it while still enrolled if possible by contacting the registrar or administrative office for instructions.
After attending
- If you have transferred, left school, or graduated, many schools will be helpful to alumni in hopes of having you donate to the school in the future. In addition to your transcript, have them change your information in all databases, including the alumni directory. In some cases, they will purge your old name from the records if you wish.
FERPA
There is a US federal law that can help you protect the privacy of your higher education school records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.
FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when the student reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.”
Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record about the contested information.
Resources
US Department of Education (ed.gov)
Lambda Legal (lambdalegal.org)
- A Transgender Advocate’s Guide to Updating and Amending School Records Frequently Asked Questions on FERPA (PDF)
Disclaimer: This is legal talk, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction, and some of the information discussed on this page may not be applicable in your case. It is up to you to confirm any information herein by doing your own research.