Students are now charged a $10 fee to obtain a copy of their official transcript through Parchment, as of Nov. 3, according to a statement released by the Office of the University Registrar.
Parchment, a platform that students use to “request, verify, and receive transcripts, diplomas, and other credentials,” previously allowed students to obtain copies of their official transcripts for free.
The University did not respond to The Sun’s questions regarding the reasoning behind the new fee, but referred to the transparency statement listed on the Registrar’s website as a resource.
The new fee is a part of the University’s “ongoing efforts to enhance services and ensure the long-term sustainability of [its] operations,” aimed to offer “secure processing and delivery of official transcripts,” maintenance of timely and accurate academic record systems and support “compliance with institutional and federal standards for data integrity and privacy,” according to the website.
This change comes amid recent economic challenges for the University, including paying $30 million to the federal government and invest an additional $30 million into research to strengthen U.S. agriculture as part of a settlement restoring frozen federal funding, as well as the development of Resilient Cornell, a long-term economic sustainability plan for the University.
Students approaching graduation expressed frustration regarding the new fee, as applications for employment or further education often require official transcripts. The introduction of the fee may pose an additional hurdle for aspiring graduate students and students entering the workforce.
In her senior year at Cornell, Ally Schwartz ’26 finds the additional fee particularly burdensome, noting that it “feels wrong” as students take steps to further their careers.
“The financial barrier just seems to add an additional obstacle to an already challenging process,” Schwartz said.
Beyond the cost, Schwartz added that the possibility of incurring fees for multiple transcript requests may create additional logistical and financial considerations for students navigating multiple application cycles, whether for further education or career prospects.
“If you have to think about consciously purchasing a new transcript every time, you might need to consolidate this focus.” Schwartz said, “[This] is putting some additional pressure on applying for jobs all at once rather than learning from application cycles and being able to have a little more flexibility in the process.”
As different groups across campus encounter the new fee, the impact of the new charge can be seen extending beyond graduating seniors and to underclassmen, like Theo Kuo ’27.
Kuo, who transferred to Cornell in his sophomore year, recognizes the importance of accessibility to official transcripts in application processes, as applications to transfer universities often require official transcripts.
“[The] transfer process is already difficult and complicated enough,” Kuo said. “Adding another barrier to that in the form of a $10 transcript fee is just unnecessary.”
Cornellians have also taken to Reddit to express discontentment and reluctant acceptance of the new fee.
Some anonymous users find it “frustrating that astronomical tuition won't even get us free transcripts anymore” or are “disappointed that [the University is] using students’ career aspirations, which are contingent on having a transcript.”
Others, however, seemed to find the fee less unjustified and inevitable, writing that, “That's the way of the world now.”
While the additional fee has raised concern, discourse and acceptance among the community, the Registrar maintains that the fee was implemented with the intention to “balance service quality with fiscal responsibility, without impacting staffing or reducing support of our students and alumni.”
Rafaela Gandolfo Bustamante is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is a senior writer for the News department and can be reached at rgandolfobustamante@cornellsun.com.
