Transcripts and Diplomas

Official Transcripts

Order official PLNU transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse.

We only send hard copy/paper transcripts (not electronic), which are mailed out via USPS.

Each transcript costs $5.40 and you can pay when you order online with a credit or debit card. Rush processing and/or Express mailing can be selected for an additional fee.

University transcripts reflect the student’s legal name in the university database as it was while attending PLNU. Students who wish to change their legal name and have this change reflected on their academic transcript must submit a change of name request to the Office of Records with legal proof of the name change (e.g. government i.d. passport, driver's license, court document). Click on this Change of Name/Address link for the form.

Please be sure you do not have any outstanding financial balance before ordering your transcripts as a financial hold will affect grades shown on your transcript for any period with an outstanding balance. If you are unsure of your financial status, please follow the next steps to determine if you have a financial hold or not. If you took graduate courses or courses through the Adult Accelerated Undergraduate Programs not on the Point Loma Campus, contact the Office of Student Financial Services at gpssfs@pointloma.edu or (619) 563-2882.

Please note that if you attended prior to 1980, transcripts are archived and take additional processing time. Archived records require an approximate 4 week processing time and cannot be rush processed. 

Please note that if you attended prior to Fall 2015, for any type of transcript order  (normal, rush, or express) three additional business days may be required in addition to the stated normal processing times.

Unofficial Transcripts

If you would like an unofficial transcript, please choose from one of the four options listed below:

Previous Students

  1. Fill out the Unofficial Transcript Request form
  2. Submit the form in one of the following ways:
    • Scan and email records@pointloma.edu (preferred and quickest method).
    • Fax to (619) 849-2508
    • Mail to the Office of Records, PLNU, 3900 Lomaland Dr., San Diego, CA 92106
    • Stop by the Office of Records to fill out and submit a form

Current Students

Current students can use Workday to generate their own Unofficial Transcript using this guide.

Diplomas

NOTICE:
Due to the discontinuation of our previous diploma printing vendor, we are in the process of establishing services with a new provider. This transition has taken longer than anticipated, significantly extending the usual turnaround time of 11-13 weeks from the posting of your degree to the ordering of your diploma. We apologize for any inconvenience and understand your desire to receive your diploma as quickly as possible.

Please note that your official academic transcript serves as verification of your degree. Additionally, we can provide a letter of degree verification upon request. To accommodate for the delay in diploma orders, we are offering a two-day turnaround for degree verification letters, instead of the usual five business days.

We anticipate being able to place diploma orders by mid-July. Orders will be processed based on the date of conferral, giving priority to those who have been waiting the longest.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Policies for Diplomas

  • Each student who completes all university graduation and degree requirements receives one official diploma per degree earned.
  • Diplomas reflect the student’s legal name in the University database as it was while attending PLNU.
  • Students who wish to change their legal name and have this change reflected on their diploma must submit a change of name request to the Office of Records prior to the completion of all degree requirements and their degree being posted. Under no exception will diplomas be re-ordered to accommodate name changes.
  • Diplomas are ordered after all grades have been received and your degree has been posted. (Degrees are posted after every quad, semester, and summer session.) This process takes approximately 3 weeks to complete.
  • From degree posting time, it takes approximately 8 – 10 weeks to be mailed from the university or available for pickup in the records office on the main campus.
  • Diplomas are mailed via regular mail, without delivery confirmation or signature required, and sent to the address provided by the student on the Diploma Mailing Request (DMR) form.
  • Diplomas will not be released unless we have a hand-signed DMR on file for you, and your student account balance is paid in full. Check your balance on your student portal or by calling Student Financial Services at (619) 849-2538.  
  • If you did not fill out your DMR during Commencement preparation, please scan and email, fax, or mail the form to the records office using the contact information on it.
  • Students who request to pick up their diploma instead of having it mailed will pick it up in the Office of Records (located on the university’s main campus) and must provide a government-issued, photo identification (e.g., driver’s license, military ID, passport).
  • Diplomas requested to be picked up will not be released to anyone other than the student.
  • Please call the Office of Records at (619) 849-2289 prior to pick up to ensure your diploma is available.
  • Once diplomas are mailed from our office to the address specified on the DMR form, the university is not responsible for mailing time or receipt of the diploma.
  • Please ensure you have filled out your DMR correctly or have submitted an updated form prior to your degree posting if your address has changed.

If your question was not answered above or you need further assistance, please contact us at (619) 849-2289 or records@pointloma.edu.

Replica Diplomas

Graduates of PLNU receive only one official diploma, but we understand sometimes important documents can be misplaced, lost, or damaged. For these unfortunate situations, we offer a replica diploma.

A replica diploma certifies, under the PLNU name and with the signature of current Board of Trustee officers and administrators, that the individual graduated from the institution. For alumni who graduated prior to the university name change, the name of the original institution granting the degree will be specified in the text on the replica diploma (e.g., “originally conferred by Pasadena College”).

Policies for Replica Diplomas

  • Only one official diploma is issued per degree earned at Pasadena College/Point Loma College/Point Loma Nazarene College/PLNU,  so this is only a replica and not a replacement diploma.
  • The charge for a replica diploma is $45. This amount covers the production of the replica and standard mailing costs within the U.S. For international mailing, please contact the records office regarding pricing (records@pointloma.edu).
  • Currently, due to transition to a new diploma vendor, processing and mailing for replica diplomas is approximately 10 weeks.  Orders will be processed as quickly as possible.  If you need verification of your earned degree in the meantime, please submit a verification request form (see links on the right side of the page), and we can send a letter of degree verification, or you may order an official transcript which is the official record of the degree earned (click on the Official Transcript at the top of this section).
  • The name printed on the replica will be the official name under which you attended and is stored in the institutional database. If you wish to use another name, please submit a Change of Name form to the records office prior to ordering your replica diploma.
  • All requests for a replica diploma must be submitted by the graduate through our CashNet Order Site.

If your question was not answered above or you need further assistance, please contact us at (619) 849-2289 or records@pointloma.edu.

Notarization

To request a notarization of your diploma or official transcripts, please follow the steps below. There is a minimum turnaround of five business days for notarizations once all documents are received and payment is made, so please plan accordingly. This turnaround time is in addition to posted transcript/degree processing times.

Diploma Notarization

Submit the original diploma to the Records Office along with a written request for notarization of your diploma.  Please note the notarization will be stapled to the diploma.

Official Transcript Notarization

Request official transcripts and submit a written request for notarization. Please note you will need to include processing time for official transcripts as noted on the transcript request page, in addition to the processing time for notarization.

What to Include in Your Request for Notarization:

  1. A statement that you are requesting notarization of your diploma and/or official transcript
  2. The purpose for the notarization (e.g., for a work visa)
  3. The address to which the notarized document(s) should be mailed
  4. Payment of $10 per document to be notarized. Payment can be by credit card at commerce.cashnet.com/records, or by submitting cash or a cashier’s check. Payment will be verified prior to notarization of the document.

Mail all documents to:

Point Loma Nazarene University
ATTN: Office of Records
3900 Lomaland Dr.
San Diego, CA 92106

If you would like the document to be sent express or by overnight mail, there is an additional cost to cover the mailing expenses. Please contact us at (619) 849-2289 or records@pointloma.edu to determine the exact cost.

Please be aware that a notarized diploma or transcript will have the notarization stapled to it.

Apostille

If you need an apostille, follow the state of California instructions for obtaining it, as it is a government-issued document.