Certifications and Verifications

Enrollment Certification

Stanford University has contracted with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to provide enrollment certification service to students free of charge. You will be able to generate and print an NSC enrollment certification directly from your computer. This is equivalent to an official Stanford enrollment certification. Stanford University will not fill out third party forms; students must obtain an enrollment certification and attach it to any forms.

The enrollment certification document can be used whenever enrollment verification or student status is required for scholarship purposes, medical coverage, loan deferments, car insurance, etc. For employment purposes see Degree Verification below. Stanford University will certify current or past enrollment. Stanford cannot certify enrollment for future quarters (even for the current academic year).

How do I use an Enrollment Certification?

An enrollment certification, also known as enrollment verification, contains information about your enrollment status at Stanford for each term. An enrollment certification:

• Provides confirmation of registration and enrollment
• Does NOT include individual course/grade/unit information, or GPA, or class rank
• Is provided at no charge

What does an Enrollment Certification Show?

1. Student name
2. Social Security Number (SSN)
3. Enrollment history
   1. Quarters enrolled
   2. Start and end dates of each quarter
   3. Status: less than 1/2; half-time; full-time; (note: "less than 1/2" status will not show until after the drop deadline

Note: Work necessary to complete units from previous quarters does not count toward the current quarter.

How often is the NSC enrollment data updated?

Stanford sends student enrollment information to the NSC frequently during the weeks prior to the start of each term and for the first four weeks of a term. After the fourth week, the information is updated regularly, though less frequently. It may take two to three business days for the NSC to process the latest enrollment information. Students will be able to check the date of the last transmission from Stanford at the NSC site. If you recently made changes to your enrollment and would like an enrollment certification that reflects these changes, please allow time for the NSC information to be updated. If you are unable to wait, you may request an enrollment certification in person at the Student Services Center located at Tresidder Memorial Union, 2nd floor.

How do I order an enrollment certification?

Axess Students

Those with Axess accounts must order official printed certifications using Axess. Students will be redirected to the National Student Clearinghouse and will be able to print an enrollment certification.

If you have reported a social security number to Stanford University, but are directed to Stanford's request page instead of the NSC self-service site, there may be a problem with your social security number. Go to the Student Services Center located at Tresidder Memorial Union, 2nd floor, with your ID and original social security card.

Students without a Social Security Number

Students who do not have a social security number cannot use the NSC self-service enrollment certification. Axess will automatically redirect them to Stanford's custom enrollment certification request page. This printed certification can be picked up at the Student Services Center on the same business day. A photo ID is required to pick up certifications. There is no charge for this service. Please note that certification of full-time or part-time enrollment cannot be provided until after the quarterly study list is filed.

Non-Axess Students

Students without Axess accounts can order proof of past enrollment or verification of a degree in person at the Student Services Center located at Tresidder Memorial Union, 2nd floor, or in writing. Write to:

Certifications

Office of the University Registrar

630 Serra Street, Suite 120

Stanford, CA 94305-6032

Provide the following:

• Full name under which you were registered at Stanford
• All former surnames (maiden and married names)
• Your student number (if available)
• Your date of birth
• The date of your degree conferral (or, if you received no degree, the last year you attended the University)
• Whether you were an undergraduate, graduate student, or coterminal student
• How many copies of your Enrollment Certification you wish to have sent
• The names and addresses of the intended recipients
• Your signature

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National Student Clearinghouse

The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) is a national agency that acts on Stanford's behalf to certify enrollment to most national lenders for student loan deferments. Our agreement with the NSC enables third-parties to retrieve your enrollment information from the NSC directly, and should eliminate the need for you to submit an enrollment certification form each quarter. You can learn more about the National Student Clearinghouse at http://www.degreeverify.org. Let us know if your lender is unwilling or cannot use the services provided by NSC.

Degree Verification (For Employers)

Stanford University has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to act as its agent for purposes of degree verification. The NSC will be able to verify degrees for only those students who have not placed a privacy block on their academic record. The student's name when enrolled, Social Security Number, and date of birth will be required for identification purposes and degree verification. Please contact the National Student Clearinghouse by phone at (703) 742-4200 or visit their web site at www.studentclearinghouse.org for current degree verification information and instructions.

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Diploma Certification for International Use

Some visa requirements ask for a copy of your diploma. Copies of diplomas are not available. Stanford University can provide an official Enrollment Certification that satisfies these requirements. Send a written request for your enrollment certification in accordance with the instructions for non-Axess students outlined above.

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Dean's Certification Forms - Instructions and Information

The certification process for law schools, FIPC, State Boards of Law Examiners, medical/veterinary school, etc., is a two-step process at Stanford. The Dean of Student Affairs has designated the Office of Judicial Affairs to handle the first step, to respond to questions about disciplinary records, and the Office of the University Registrar to handle to second step, to respond to academically-related questions.

• Certification processing may require 10 business days.
• Each certification form should be accompanied by a stamped, pre-addressed envelope to each individual entity.
• After processing, the forms are mailed directly to the entity – NOT to students.
• Please include your Stanford ID number, a phone number and/or an email address where you can be reached, if necessary.
• For faster delivery by the U.S. Postal Service, the recipient entity’s address should be typed rather than handwritten, and should include the 9-digit ZIP code
• You should submit your forms to the Judicial Affairs Office at least one month before recipient entity’s deadline. Please remember that the University is closed the last two weeks of December.
• We will accept forms submitted after that time, and will do our best to process them in a timely manner, but we cannot assure you that we can meet the requisite deadlines of the entities to which you are applying. Priority will be given to those students who timely submit, and in the order received.
• Certification forms should be sent or delivered to:
  
  

  ATTN: Certification Official

  Office of Judicial AffairsStanford University

  Tresidder Memorial Union, Suite 9

  459 Lagunita Dr.

  Stanford, CA 94305-3010

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Frequently Asked Questions About Certifications:

Q: Do I need to meet with the Dean of Student Affairs or any other University administrator in order to get my certification form processed?

A: No, there is no need to meet with the Dean or any other administrator.

Q: What other forms/materials do I need to submit with the certification form?

A: In addition to the stamped, pre-addressed envelope to the school/entity, you may wish to enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard that Stanford can return to you after your forms have been processed and sent to the requested recipients, and a stamped, self-addressed postcard for each entity to mail to you to confirm receipt of your certification form.

Q: Will Stanford accept a faxed or emailed certification form?

A: Yes. Stanford requires a signature on all faxed certification requests or forms emailed as attachments

Q: Will Stanford fax the forms to the school for me?

A: No. Most institutions will not accept faxed or emailed copies of certification forms for the same reason Stanford does not accept them.

Q: How will my forms be mailed to the institutions?

A: You may include a stamped, pre-addressed regular business-sized envelope for each form to be sent via the U.S. Postal Service. If using UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS Express or Priority Mail services, please include correct postage or a pre-paid air-bill. NOTE: Stanford does not accept USPS Certified Mail, and does not pay for postage.

Q: Is there a certification form processing fee?

A: No, Stanford does not charge for processing certification forms.

Q: If I have a disciplinary and/or academic probation record at Stanford, what happens after the Judicial Affairs Office and/or Registrar’s Office checks the affirmative boxes on the certification forms?

A: For any affirmative responses to disciplinary questions, the Judicial Affairs Office must provide a letter of explanation to accompany the form. For affirmative responses to academic standing questions, the Registrar’s Office will provide a copy of Stanford’s academic standing policy (http://registrar.stanford.edu). The copy will note which terms you were on academic probation, provisional registration, and/or suspension; no further explanatory statement will be provided.

Q: Will I have any input into the letter of explanation regarding my disciplinary record?

A: Yes. The Judicial Affairs Office will draft a response, then try to review it with you before sending it with the certification form to the recipient entity. It is very important for you to include your telephone number and/or email address when sending the certification form to this Office.)

Q: Will I have any input into the information regarding my academic standing record?

A: No. The Registrar’s Office is unable to provide a personal letter regarding your academic standing record. You may have an opportunity to provide the recipient entity with a supplementary explanation of the circumstances that led to your academic difficulties, but the Registrar’s Office is unable to confirm or refute the veracity of such statements.

Q: If no Dean’s Certification Form is provided by the school/entity to which I am applying, but some type of disciplinary clearance is required, what should I do?

A: Send a request for a clearance letter to the Office of Judicial Affairs. Be sure to include with your request a stamped, pre-addressed envelope to the school/entity requiring the clearance, the instructions and/or a copy of the request from the school/entity, its name, and your contact information.

Q: Does Stanford provide a student’s GPA and class rank to other schools?

A: No. Under no circumstances will a student’s GPA be released to third parties/with the certification forms.Stanford calculates a GPA for internal academic standing purposes only. Class rank is not calculated for any purpose.

Q: The institution/entity to which I am applying claims that it did not receive my certification form. What should I do?

A: As noted above, you may wish to include a stamped, self-addressed postcard for each school/entity to return to you confirming receipt. Remember that often there are significant delays in admissions office processing of forms. You should contact each individual school/entity to verify that they have (or have not) received your forms before contacting Stanford again. It is very important that you allow sufficient time for processing AND mailing. Neither the Judicial Affairs Office nor the Registrar’s Office will be responsible for delays or misdirection in mailing caused by the U.S. Postal Service or other mailing services.

Q: If I want to check the status of my certification forms, whom do I contact?

A: Please allow 30 business days after submitting your request for certification before contacting Stanford. The Judicial Affairs Office telephone number is (650) 725-2485. The Registrar’s Office telephone number is (650) 723-2041. Please provide your de your name, telephone number and/or email address when making inquiries.

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