Transcripts, Matriculation, and Degrees
Transcripts, Matriculation, and Degrees
This page provides a look at how specific barriers can exist for students in the retrieval and conferral of their own data due to their confinement; the page offers a positive approach to how we can help shape the future through improving our own process of transcript retrieval, and some ways to combat the obstacles of transcripts, matriculation, and degree conferrals.
Incarcerated students often do not have consistent access to their academic records. This lack of access can cause delays in degree conferment, delays in transfer opportunities, and or delays in receiving milestone credits. One of the biggest barriers for our students completing degrees is access to official transcripts. There are two issues associated with obtaining official transcripts.
Costs and Access
Most colleges and universities have a cost associated with sending transcripts beyond the second request. Incarcerated students cannot pay for these costs unless they have financial assistance on the outside. For California Community Colleges, the cost of official transcripts, beyond the second request, is a locally set policy and your community college can and should waive transcript fees for incarcerated students. Your local Academic Senate should support these efforts and help you advocate to remove these costs as it is a student equity issue.
The student should have regular access to their unofficial transcripts free of charge. Counselors and other student services staff should provide unofficial transcripts to the student upon request or at least once an academic year. By providing unofficial transcripts on a regular basis, the student can confirm grades received and challenge any grade disputes.
Forms and Transcript Requests
Several colleges and universities use online transcript request forms. Our incarcerated students do not have access to the internet to request transcripts. If your college does not have a printable version of the transcript request form, please make one available. Creating a resource page on your college’s website for third party access could be helpful for counselors and or other student advocates. Many students rely on printable versions of request forms and send these requests via USPS. Many of these requests go unanswered/unfulfilled which delays progress in degree completion/transcript evaluation. Please consider having a return receipt postcard to send back to the student to confirm a request was received and will be processed and or if a fee is due associated with the request. Most community colleges in California have printable transcript request forms, however, CSUs, UCs, and out of state colleges and universities may not. In these cases, counselors or other student services staff may need to intervene.
Southwestern College created a generic form Links to an external site. for students to send to colleges to request transcripts if a printable version isn’t available.
An alternative to be explored is utilizing transcripts on the student’s Central File (C-file) or sometimes called Strategic Offenders Management System (SOMS). Students may have an official transcript on file at the prison and, if your college approves, that copy may be used as “official” since it was opened and received by CDCR school staff. A local data sharing policy may be possible depending on the willingness of college and CDCR staff. Southwestern College is currently creating a local policy for accepting unofficial transcripts from CDCR thanks to examples like Cerro Coso.
In Spring 2023, The Rising Scholars Network began monthly "Transcript Think-Tank" meetings to address issues around cost, access, and information sharing among California Community Colleges. Think-Tank attendees are college counselors, college registrars, admissions student services staff, and other prison education support staff. If you would like to join the discussion please reach out to your regional Rising Scholars Coordinator.
Matriculation and Degrees
Because of delays with transcripts, as a student matriculates into a new community college or university, there is a risk of course duplication. If possible, meeting with a counselor before students enroll in courses can prevent the duplication of units even if transcripts are not on file yet. Several students are not aware that colleges have different course names and numbers for each class. For example, Counseling 105 at Coastline Community College is similar to Southwestern College’s Personal Development 100. Creating a quick reference guide of course equivalences can help students identify classes from previous colleges.
Depending on the degree and transfer pathways offered within your college’s prison education program, students may have options for local degrees, ADTs, and other transferable degrees. If your college is not currently partnered with a CSU, but it offers transferable degrees, please consider following the IGETC GE pattern. The IGETC GE pattern leaves options open for partnerships with CSUs and UCs while also allowing students to earn ADTs. Further, using IGETC ensures that all courses taken will transfer to both UCs and CSUs offering the student optimal use of their units. This will also help if the student transfers to another prison that offers degrees and transfer options. If a course offered is only applicable to local degrees please ensure that the student understands this and it’s noted on the student education plan if possible.
As changes to GE patterns approach with Cal-GETC, and other specific CSU GE ADT patterns, ensuring that students have access to courses that work for multiple GE pathways is encouraged.
When students are ready to petition for a degree does your college have a printable petition form? Giving the student the power and knowledge to initiate the petition helps their understanding of the college system as a whole. Ideally a counselor or other student services staff is with the student as they fill out the graduation petition. If there is an auto award process in place at your college, please ensure the student understands the process. Also check with the student to ensure their preferred name will be printed on the degree.
Filling in Gaps for Degree Completion:
The Rising Scholars Network and correspondence colleges have been working to create an online request form Links to an external site. for students that need assistance finding a course that may not be offered by your face-to-face prison education program. This referral program can help your student reach degree sooner rather than waiting one or two semester for a specific course to cycle through.
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