Introduction:

A transcript is a detailed record of your marks or grades that has been generated by your current or former university. Usually this will be a document, either on paper or online, with a list or table of the individual modules, papers or courses you have completed with a numerical and/or letter grade against each.

In United States education, a transcript is a copy of a student's permanent academic record, which usually means all courses taken, all grades received, all honors received and degrees conferred to a student from the first day of school to the current school year. A transcript may also contain the student’s rank in class and the accreditation of the institution issuing the transcript.

Holding Transcripts:

Colleges and universities that are owed money by a former student may "hold" the transcript until they are paid. This may mean that former student cannot resume their education elsewhere. Many colleges and universities will not allow a prospective student until receiving communication (in the form of a physical stamp or seal) that the prior school is satisfied with its debt collection. If the college or university discovers that an applicant lied on their college application, the college can rescind the offer of admission, can revoke the student's degree, if completed, and refuse the release of that student's transcripts.

European Union:

In the European ECTS system, a Transcript of Records (ToR) is used to document the performance of a student over a certain period of time by listing the course units or modules taken, the credits gained, and the grades awarded. The Transcript of Records provides a standard format for recording all study activities carried out by students. It is an essential tool for academic recognition.

Transcript Fraud:

Transcript fraud is the alteration of a transcript issued by a legitimate school or university or the forgery of completely fake transcripts and is considered a felony. Transcript fraud is a growing problem for both educational institutions and employers. This is related to diploma fraud, which is the forgery of school or university diplomas.