Let’s hope your house doesn’t burn down or anything else that awful. There are actually lots of ways you can lose your college diploma though, or have it destroyed. Have no fear—there are ways to get a copy of your college diploma if you need one.
We hope you don’t actually lose your diploma. But if this does happen, the problem is relatively easy to solve. Just remember, you have some work to do since there are lots of people out there wanting to impersonate college graduates!
In this article, we’ll go over the processes needed to get copies of college degrees as well as how to get this done expeditiously.
The Most Straightforward Way
This one is pretty simple: go to your college’s website and look up the Office of the Registrar (or simply type “Registrar” in the college’s search box). This is the office in charge of maintaining all academic records, including diplomas.
Since the Registrar’s Office deals with all sorts of documents—for current students as well as alumni—you might have to click through a few menus to find the instructions for a diploma replacement.
You’ll probably be expected to make the request in writing, with your signature. Authentication methods vary from college to college. And since many colleges do this through third-party vendors, there might be a few hiccups in the process.
There will also be fees for the diploma copy itself and for postage (typically with your choice of delivery mode). Fees—which are a source of revenue for colleges—vary dramatically, so be prepared for either a pleasant surprise or a total shock.
Why not try looking up this information on your college’s website now?
Did you find it? If so, great.
With most colleges, this process is pretty straightforward. But if you can’t locate what you need or find the information confusing, use the phone number provided and give the office a call.
You might run into some glitches in this process. For example, some people left college believing they’d graduated, when they unknowingly had a few remaining credits to complete. If this happened to you, finish them and then get your diploma.
But what do you do in the meantime? What if you still want and need the job you’ve applied for?
There’s an option below that you might use as a stopgap measure. Check out applicable laws first though.
Buy a Replica Diploma to Use Temporarily
Ordering a replacement diploma from a college can also sometimes be a lengthy process, so it’d be great to have a short-term substitute. We offer you this possibility: a replica diploma. Yes, we’re talking about a fake diploma.
How Can I Get One of These and Is It Legal?
To our surprise, replacing a lost diploma in this way is legal, at least in some places and situations. There’s quite an industry in the business of making these “temporary” diplomas too.
If you get a legitimate replica diploma, be sure to check carefully to be sure that all the information on it is correct. Otherwise, you could suffer some embarrassment when showing it to people!
To find out more about replicating diplomas, though, look at some of the businesses that will copy college degrees for anyone needing them.
Impersonating a college degree-holder is a form of fraud that could get you in some trouble. Still, it’s more the college transcript that authenticates your degree, as we’ll discuss below.
Diplomas vs. Transcripts
There are several documents that can be used to verify college completion; a diploma is just one of them. You should have no trouble using an official transcript if you need proof of college graduation when applying for a job.
A transcript is an official listing of all the courses you took in college (by term), your course grades, and your grade point average (GPA). Unlike a diploma, which is quite elaborate, a transcript is just a piece of paper, but a valuable one.
Transcripts are actually the most authentic records of people’s college work. You’ll probably need to order more than one during your lifetime, especially if you apply to graduate school(s).
Ordering transcripts involves roughly the same steps discussed above on how to get a copy of your college diploma. Official transcripts must be in signed, sealed envelopes when delivered to the school(s) that have requested them.
A transcript is not meant to be a replacement for a lost college diploma, but rather, the document to explain how you earned that diploma by providing in-depth information about your college education.
How to Prevent Needing a Copy of Your College Diploma in the Future
Disasters do happen. But barring any such tragedies, you should take good care of your diploma, whether it’s the original or an official replacement copy of your college degree. It’s something to be very proud of—just think of all the work it took!
So don’t cram it into a box with other old papers and store it in the basement. In fact, don’t even remove it from its original envelope until you’re ready to have it framed.
Choose a nice frame and have the framing done professionally (this is not a DIY project). Then hang it on the wall of your office to show clients and other visitors that you’re an authentic college-educated person.
A Final Word on Replacement Diplomas
We hate to tell you this, but even if the copy of your college diploma is an authentic one from the college that issued it, it’ll be signed by the current administration. So unless you graduated only a short time ago, the signatures probably won’t be the same.
But this is one thing that sets the diploma apart from other documents, such as transcripts: the diploma exudes ceremonial appeal. Many have embossed seals, fancy calligraphy, and colored ink (sometimes even metallic ink).
As you begin, continue, or restart a job search, try to have all the documentation prospective employers will require at the ready. It would be a good idea to check with the company’s HR depart or the recruiting agency about this beforehand.
Check out our blog if you’re looking for career-related topics.