Guidance counselor here! My (private) school gives 4 free transcripts and then charges a couple bucks per after that.
However, we are considering a rule where every transcript after the first ten carries a high fee (like $25 per transcript).
Why? Because students don’t listen to reason and apply to 33 schools. YES. 33. And no, even the most organized senior cannot keep track of the paperwork needed for 12 schools, let alone 33! The higher fee is a meant to be a deterrent.
Our HS sends them for free, not sure if there is a limit.
As far as I know Rutgers and Pitt accepts a SRAR (self reported academic record).
I know it may seem strange for some kids to apply to a high number of schools, but if you have a kids in acting or musical theater, programs cap the number in the freshman class, for example, at 36. Divide that by gender, and there’s 18 slots, with thousands of applications. So while I understand a high number of applications may seem unusual, the acceptance rates are so low that the math forces the student to apply to a high number of schools. I’m just saying sometimes the high number may seem crazy, until you dig down to the stats. If the kids are willing to do the application, essay, and auditions (each with differing requirements), I applaud them.
In theory, someone could apply to all 32 state universities in California with two applications (one for 9 UCs and one for 23 CSUs) and no support from the high school at application time, since no transcripts or recommendations are needed at application time (final transcripts are needed at matriculation). Of course, that would involve paying for 32 application fees (but only two sets of test scores, one for each system).
OP, if you are concerned about the legality of this process, have you inquired with the School Board as to how and when they officially adopted this policy - you can request them point you to the minutes of a Board of Ed meeting where it was voted on.
Even after that, if they can prove it was voted on as a formal policy, you might then ask if they have gotten an opinion from your State Dept of Education as to its legality. You have a right to know this information about how their policies have been adopted, whether they were properly vetted, etc.
It would not surprise me if the Principal or Superintendent might have no idea as to any of this, though they of course should. You might find that instead of the hassle of reviewing all of this, they might instead want to exercise their general discretion and waive the fees for your situation.
I can understand why some schools would want to encourage more reflection on the part of the students before they incur the additional expenses involved. I would not be at all surprised to find that a significant number of schools have implemented a policy like this without getting formal board approval, potentially opening themselves up to having to provide them free if and when asked.
Depends on how much you want to push. Personally, since I have found our local HS has, shall we say, made its share of mistakes in the past, I would want to push them to be compliant.
The high school has an obligation to provide one transcript for free, not to support students’ college applications cost free. If the education has been provided and a diploma earned, you may expect evidence of that once as part of your free public education. Additional copies may be subject to feed, just as you would pay for copies of your birth certificate, for example. The high school does not have to provide limitless free secretarial services for students.
It would help if the colleges did not add so much to the burden on high schools. It seems common for private colleges to ask the student to get from the high school the following:
Only the last item is strictly required for all college-bound students (maybe not even that, for those going to open admission colleges like community colleges). But the others add considerable work to busy teachers and counselors, especially if the student applies to several colleges which do not share common transcript submission and recommendations.
This is not and would not be considered school board/state education department policy but an individual school policy based on how that school chooses to use it’s resources.
As @roycrofymom stated you have the right to a free and appropriate public education(FAPE) if attending public school. This does not mean unlimited free transcripts. Your child is receiving a FAPE. Like someone else mentioned up-thread, sometimes there is a charge to discourage students taking advantage and tying up the school’s resources.
At my school, students used to come to my office and asked for copies of transcripts just because they can. It was making kids late for class, disrupting schedules/meetings that counselors had with other students/parents/administrators/ peers.
Students get an unofficial copy of their permanent record every semester in their advisory class in order to check if the grades and credits granted are correct . Any discrepancies are handled in writing. The counselor will meet with students at least once a year to discuss the transcript , where the student will sign that they attended the meeting and the information on the transcript is correct. Now that most schools have Skedula, Engrades or some type of grading software, that students can see their grades year over year, there is very little need for students to get a paper copy of their transcript for their own personal use or self report grades.
Students do not receive official copies of the transcript without documentation from the party requesting the transcript stating what the transcript is being used for. All transcripts that are going to colleges, scholarship competitions, etc. must be mailed from the school.
Where public schools has limited resources, there are often no dedicated personnel around to do nothing but process transcript requests. our school charges for any transcript that must be printed and mailed. You must submit a written request. If you lose your class program, you are charged a $1 for a replacement. If you lose/damage your student ID cards, you must pay for a replacement. If you lose your metro card, it takes a couple of days to replace where you will have to pay your own transportation charges to go to school.
Fear not, once they get to college, they will have to pay a fee to get a transcript from there too!!
I am totally fine with a public school limiting transcripts to tenplus the final transcript to the students attending college. . FAFSA is ten, without the strange workaround of deleting and reloading more schools. I am fine with private high schools charging…they probably charge for all kinds of things which they are well within their right to do. Ten colleges is plenty for students to pick the one they will attend. And yes, these students will be nickled and dimed to death once they arrive on their college campus!
Heck, next time I see the GC I am suggesting charging as a plan.I would totally have paid without a complaint at>5.
@thumper1 can you elaborate on how this works?
Say, does the High School need to first print the transcript, sign, scan, upload to common app? What incremental expenses will the High School incur for each additional college? Will it make a difference if the student were to add colleges on separate days opposed to submit all colleges at the same time?
@3puppies Thank you. You are right, the school board did indeed vote on this issue a few years ago. The reasoning was because of the expenses. I intend to find out more and contact the State if needed.
@roycroftmom I am not asking for the high school to support a student’s college application cost. However, there is a reasonable expectation on how much a public high school can charge. Can they charge $200 per transcript as they have a monopoly?
@ucbalumnus I do not see how teachers’ recommendations and counselor recommendation are relevant as incremental cost.
Once more. Your state is not going to intervene on this issue.
If it was an issue that was taken up with your school board (and I am shocked that it is) and your school board voted on the charge, then pick your poison- either pay to have the transcripts sent or don’t apply to the school. The state is not going to intervene on this issue because it is a local school decision.
The school only has to upload your transcript into your common application once.
Now if the school is charging you for every time, they must use a different mechanism to get your transcript to the school (common app, Sendedu, the school’s own portal, SUNY, etc) then that is a different issue and you are being charged each time they have to access and send your transcript.
have you had a conversation with your school about this?
Does your child attend a public school, a private or parochial school?
If your school is really charging you $200 PER Transcript that is beyond a reasonable and customary charge and you should address it with your school. However, I am will to bet money, that it is not $200 per school may be a total amount of $200 in processing fees.
Without identifying your high school can you exactly state your school’s policy for transcript policy?
But they aren’t charging 200 dollars, right? It probably isn’t more than 25 dollars with the first 10 free. That seems like a good deal of school and taxpayer support for your child’s college plans.
It is very easy for college application cost to add up to close to $200 per school once you calculate the application cost, CSS profile cost, cost of sending test scores from both testing agencies, transcript cost for sending transcripts to colleges, the additional costs associated with sending transcripts for merit opportunities, outside scholarships, etc.
it can be a daunting and costly process. If there are budgetary constraints then you need to establish them with your child
Our kid’s public school charges a fixed fee for as many transcripts.
Can they charge $200 per transcript as they have a monopoly?<<<<<<<<
You posted already that is was above $25 and below $50? (why the cloak and dagger is beyond me) but this catastrophizing (thanks, NPR article LOL) hyperbole is not good for you or your kid in this college process. Getting caught up in the minutiae is a simple way of avoiding the really big questions of actual affordability, period.
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Public education isn’t free, it’s tax payer supported.
We just finished this process with our oldest. She applied to six schools and it was a lot of work for us and guidance counselor. If the fee is $35, that doesn’t cover an hours work for GC. I agree with a fee to discourage too many schools.
EDIT: by us, I mean me filling out financial aid forms and D completing applications.
I don’t agree with high schools limiting the number of colleges students can apply to. There are legitimate reasons students might go over 8 or 10 applications, such as hunting for merit that they need to attend college, or trying to get into a difficult major. Students submit a form and stamped/addressed envelopes at our school. Then someone is just sticking the paper in the envelope and mailing it. This is part of the job of the guidance office. If a student is attempting to submit a large number of applications, then they should be offered additional guidance counseling, to help them narrow down their choices. I don’t understand the attitude of some of the schools discussed here that students are wasting their time. Helping these kids is why the counsellors are employed by the school. I am not opposed to a nominal fee of less than $5 to help remind students that resources are limited. But $25 is absurd.
@suzyQ7, regarding your post #36, low income students that are chasing merit aid and need based aid often need to apply to many schools. They are low income to begin with, and then the school wants to charge them per transcript after a certain number?