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I just paid $17 for an official school transcript
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mindwaves
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Mar 25, 2015, 04:52 PM
 
Extremely expensive for two minutes of time, three sheets of paper, and an envelope. I was expecting something expensive, maybe about $12 maximum, but never $17. This is from a well-respected public university, I could only imagine how much they cost from a private university.
     
turtle777
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Mar 25, 2015, 05:34 PM
 
I think you got a bargain.

What keeps them from charging $50 ?

Nothing.

-t
     
Snow-i
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Mar 25, 2015, 05:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by mindwaves View Post
Extremely expensive for two minutes of time, three sheets of paper, and an envelope. I was expecting something expensive, maybe about $12 maximum, but never $17. This is from a well-respected public university, I could only imagine how much they cost from a private university.
Free from private universities, according to several of my friends who went to such. I can't say that my anecdotal evidence is anything but - just saying'.

Never underestimate a public entities' thirst for $$. After all, you owe them their due simply for attending. Our tax money is too busy building stadiums and board rooms to be used for anything as useless as your official scholastic records.
     
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Mar 25, 2015, 11:44 PM
 
Pimping ain't dead.

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el chupacabra
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Mar 26, 2015, 10:22 AM
 
Originally Posted by mindwaves View Post
Extremely expensive for two minutes of time, three sheets of paper, .
Reminds me of those $50-150 setup fees to push a button and turn on internet, power, or water to your home. Or "internet convenience fee" to pay some government bill like car registration, or if you use check or credit card you may pay check and credit card convenience fee. And then there's the $150 "administration fee" every time you request documents from the government such as to close on house.
     
The Final Dakar
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Mar 26, 2015, 10:35 AM
 
Originally Posted by el chupacabra View Post
Reminds me of those $50-150 setup fees to push a button and turn on internet, power, or water to your home.
Yeah those drive me nuts. I have to pay for the right to pay you? What a ****ed up world.
     
mindwaves  (op)
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Mar 26, 2015, 12:41 PM
 
I haven't donated/gifted any money to my university either. Never have, never will.
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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Mar 26, 2015, 04:12 PM
 
$17 sounds fair, someone has to do some work to get that for you.
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iMOTOR
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Mar 27, 2015, 01:15 AM
 
If anyone has to do 17 dollars worth of labor just to print and send a transcript, then they have no business calling themselves a university.
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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Mar 27, 2015, 01:32 AM
 
$17 is like lunch at Chipotle, if it's that much of a hardship you can ask them to wave it.
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BLAZE_MkIV
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Mar 27, 2015, 09:43 AM
 
I only needed mine once. After the first job they stopped asking about college.
     
ghporter
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Mar 30, 2015, 09:28 PM
 
That's $17 worth of "official" there. I have multiple copies of "unofficial" transcripts from various schools, and they aren't even good toilet paper. You paid $17 for the formality of that particular transcript copy.

For what it's worth, the last time I enrolled in a new school, I had to have transcripts from NINE different schools, one of which didn't exist anymore. They cost from $15-$30 each. And I'm seriously considering a new academic pursuit, which will bring the total transcripts needed to TEN. Just the last one that lists both a BS and a Masters degree don't cut it, it's gotta be all of them.

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SSharon
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Mar 30, 2015, 11:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by el chupacabra View Post
...Or "internet convenience fee" to pay some government bill like car registration...
Yea, I just paid one of those fees this week. The extra $2 to renew my car's registration online was worth it to not have to mail a check or drive to the DMV.
AT&T iPhone 5S and 6; 13" MBP; MDD G4.
     
ShortcutToMoncton
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Mar 31, 2015, 11:32 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
$17 is like lunch at Chipotle, if it's that much of a hardship you can ask them to wave it.
Agreed. Aren't the "official" transcripts stamped and/or on special paper? There's likely enough requests in the run of a year that it takes a significant amount of someone's time. It's not that outrageous and you usually only need to do it once (at least for my school they sent multiple copies).
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Cap'n Tightpants
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Mar 31, 2015, 12:19 PM
 
Last time I requested any, which was probably >10 years ago, they arrived flat-packed on thick watermarked cotton stationery, bearing the school's crest. It was definitely more impressive than bulk 20# copy paper.
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Knof8
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Apr 2, 2015, 01:07 PM
 
One way I've seen to save on "official" transcripts is to have them sent digitally. I've had to do it a few times and instead of costing ~$15 it was more like ~$7. Also, from my school when you graduated you received two copies of your "official" transcripts free. Granted when I went back to school several years, and many moves, later I could no longer find them and had to pay for a new set. Usually they justify the cost because it's been notarized, and most places charge for a notary service not just schools.
     
Snow-i
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Apr 2, 2015, 05:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
$17 is like lunch at Chipotle, if it's that much of a hardship you can ask them to wave it.
Sure, whats another $17 next to the $100k in loans?

Thats lunch for two at Chipotle, or 2.5 hours pre-tax of minimum wage which is probably what the school is paying it's student employees. Just to print a piece of paper? Shit, I should start a company that charges $10 for official transcripts. I'd be a millionaire in 6 months flat if i could convince the school to let me do it.

It's insulting, regardless of its net-impact on an individual - you'd think they'd find a way to cover the .15c for parts and labor it actually cost them considering all the tuition and taxes they're collecting from you to build that shiny new stadium with sky-boxes and private suites.

They're charging it to you because you have no choice, and they really don't give a shit about you or what you do after they get your money (I'm referring specifically to the school's administration, not the faculty here).
     
mindwaves  (op)
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Apr 2, 2015, 05:53 PM
 
It is funny how people try to justify the cost. Sure the paper is not 20# weight and that does increase the cost somewhat, but not $17 worth.

I received a notice in the mail from my university asking for financial donations. I shredded the notice.
     
Thorzdad
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Apr 2, 2015, 05:57 PM
 
I don't know why people are griping about this. They're running it like a business.
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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Apr 3, 2015, 01:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by Snow-i View Post
Sure, whats another $17 next to the $100k in loans?

Thats lunch for two at Chipotle, or 2.5 hours pre-tax of minimum wage which is probably what the school is paying it's student employees. Just to print a piece of paper? Shit, I should start a company that charges $10 for official transcripts. I'd be a millionaire in 6 months flat if i could convince the school to let me do it.

It's insulting, regardless of its net-impact on an individual - you'd think they'd find a way to cover the .15c for parts and labor it actually cost them considering all the tuition and taxes they're collecting from you to build that shiny new stadium with sky-boxes and private suites.

They're charging it to you because you have no choice, and they really don't give a shit about you or what you do after they get your money (I'm referring specifically to the school's administration, not the faculty here).
For 2?!? Hell, you like, gotta get a pair of margaritas, right? $17 is probably on the low side, come to think about it. As for $100k in loans, unless it's for a career in STEM, that's just stupidity and they deserve what happens to them.

I checked and my alma mater (Vanderbilt) now charges $38 for printed* transcripts, so $17 looks pretty damned decent, TBH.



*digital is free
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Snow-i
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Apr 3, 2015, 04:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
For 2?!? Hell, you like, gotta get a pair of margaritas, right? $17 is probably on the low side, come to think about it. As for $100k in loans, unless it's for a career in STEM, that's just stupidity and they deserve what happens to them.
You and I Chipotle differently .

Any major 4 year school is going to be close to that mark, especially out of state. Med/Law are much, much higher. My current roommate is pre-med and she's already at 100k in loans, and looking at another 200/300k once she actually gets into med school. Meanwhile, the average income of doctors is dropping at an incredible rate.

Of course, $17 is nothing compared but college kids are not the ones we should be extorting for their official records. Use some of that NCAA money (billions upon billions). College has become less about education are more about pay-to-play networking and sports, both of which are shamelessly exploiting our nations best and brightest.

I checked and my alma mater (Vanderbilt) now charges $38 for printed* transcripts, so $17 looks pretty damned decent, TBH.
That's like picking the prettiest girl at fat camp.

*digital is free
If only schools would get with the times and create a standard encrypted format for accepting transcripts from other schools. Shoulda been done 20 years ago, but then they couldn't charge for clicking "file -> print". Doing it the way they are now is simply extorting kids that need to prove their grades, and it's rather disgusting to me.
     
imitchellg5
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Apr 13, 2015, 03:23 PM
 
My school is $50 per transcript.
     
The Final Dakar
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Apr 13, 2015, 03:35 PM
 
Obviously it's a better school
     
ghporter
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Apr 14, 2015, 09:01 AM
 
No, just a more expensive school...

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The Final Dakar
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Apr 14, 2015, 09:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
No, just a more expensive school...
Sarcasm, gh, sarcasm
     
ghporter
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Apr 15, 2015, 09:07 AM
 
And counter-sarcasm...not well done, I guess.

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The Final Dakar
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Apr 15, 2015, 09:28 AM
 
What the hell is counter-sarcasm? Is that a fancy way of saying 'ruining the joke'?
     
ghporter
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Apr 15, 2015, 07:43 PM
 
No, just me not getting the joke and trying to pass as having gotten it. It obviously didn't work.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
The Final Dakar
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Apr 16, 2015, 03:55 PM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
No, just me not getting the joke and trying to pass as having gotten it. It obviously didn't work.
Sarcasm is srs business, gh. Especially on the internet.

I do like to remind people, if you're unsure if I'm being sarcastic, it's wiser to assume I am.
     
osiris
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Apr 16, 2015, 04:23 PM
 
The previous message was a public service announcement.
Thank you.
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The Final Dakar
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Apr 16, 2015, 04:32 PM
 
Originally Posted by osiris View Post
Thank you.
That's sarcasm isn't it?
     
osiris
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Apr 16, 2015, 04:52 PM
 
Perhaps.
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turtle777
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Apr 17, 2015, 12:14 AM
 
Thank you.

-t
     
   
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