Secure Electronic PDF Transcript Delivery FAQ

PDF transcript delivery is an official Vanderbilt University transcript delivered electronically over a secure network to the email address you designate as the recipient.

Yes, PDF transcripts issued by Vanderbilt University are considered to be official transcripts and are certified by a digital signature and special security characteristics. In addition, each page of the transcript contains the signature of the university registrar and the university seal.

The recipient will receive instructions on how to authenticate the official PDF transcript. This will include steps that the recipient must take to acquire an access code to view the transcript.

Students with an active VUnetID and epassword and alumni who entered Vanderbilt in 1979 and after are eligible for PDF transcript delivery at this time.

PDF transcript delivery is becoming increasingly common. However, before requesting PDF transcript delivery, you should verify that the recipient will accept an electronic transcript. Additionally, it is important that you verify the appropriate email address for transmission of the transcript.

The recipient will need Adobe® Acrobat version 6.0 or greater, or Adobe® Reader version 6.04 or greater. The current version of Adobe® Reader is available free of charge and can be downloaded at Adobe. This information is included in the email notification that is sent to each recipient.

Each transcript issued in PDF format has warnings that the document is intended for the recipient only. In addition, the email notification sent to the recipient states the same. Vanderbilt University will not certify the authenticity of any PDF transcript that has been replicated or forwarded to any person or organization other than the intended recipient.

Students with access to YES can order their transcripts via the student portal. Students who entered Vanderbilt in Fall 1979 who do not have access to YES can order PDF transcripts through the online ordering system. Students with access to YES are advised to review their academic record via the Access Record application to ensure that all desired grades have been posted. Transcripts sent through Secure Electronic Delivery are processed immediately.

If you are sending the transcript to a third party, a courtesy email notification will be sent to you when the recipient has received their download instructions.

If you are sending the transcript to a third party, a courtesy email notification will be sent to you when the recipient has downloaded the PDF.

The recipient has 30 days to download your PDF transcript before it expires. Recipients who have not downloaded your PDF transcript receive a reminder email a few days prior to expiration.

Please have the recipient check their junk mail for the email.

An application called Preview will generally be the default PDF viewer on your Apple device. Preview is a great application for viewing PDF files; however, it will not open a certified PDF document. You must use the free Adobe® Reader to open a certified PDF.