Degree Verification
Once you complete your degree and it has been posted to your student record/transcript, you can obtain an official PDF degree verification letter through Academic Records in your Student Center.
If you need the PDF printed to obtain a hard copy, need additional text in the letter, or something else, please contact us at registrar@em.wisc.edu.
Degree Completion Letters for Graduate Students
If you have completed all degree requirements and deposited your thesis or dissertation and are waiting until the next degree conferral date to receive your degree, you may request and receive a letter indicating that all requirements have been completed. Please fill out and submit the Degree Completion Form. It will first go to the Graduate School for verification. Once all information is verified, the Office of the Registrar will provide your PDF letter.
Enrollment Verification
You can obtain an official PDF letter certifying enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.) through Academic Records in your Student Center. The PDF version is an official letter.
If you need the PDF printed to obtain a hard copy, need additional text about, e.g., academic standing or expected graduation date, or something else, please contact us at registrar@em.wisc.edu.
Students Needing Enrollment Verification for Voting Purposes
If you need an enrollment verification letter for voting purposes (e.g. proof of residence), make sure to select voter enrollment verification Academic Records in the Student Center.
- This will produce a letter that meets all Government Accountability Board requirements for voting in Wisconsin. The other enrollment verification letter (described above) is not valid for voting purposes.
- For additional voting information, visit vote.wisc.edu.
Employers Needing to Verify Student Enrollment
Employers (potential or current) can verify a student’s enrollment status by using the Verification Services of the National Student Clearinghouse. There is a small charge for this service.
College Reports and Dean's Certifications
Many students seeking to transfer to another institution from the University of Wisconsin–Madison will complete a College Report form from Common App that provides information about their academic career at UW–Madison. As of Fall 2023, the Office of the Registrar has aligned with a common Association of American Universities (AAU) practice to no longer provide college reports or dean’s certifications, as all of the relevant information can be found on a student’s official transcript.
In lieu of college reports or dean’s certifications, the Office of the Registrar encourages you to send an official transcript to your school(s). If you request it, we will send your school(s) a letter outlining this practice that encourages the school(s) to instead rely on your official transcript. Please contact our office and provide the email address(es) of the school(s) to which you would like us to send the letter.
For more information about how to order an official transcript, visit the Transcripts page of our website.
FAQs
Degree Verification
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When can I get a degree verification letter?
A degree verification letter is available once a degree is posted. The amount of time is variable due to final grading deadlines and reviews for completion by school/college degree clearance staff, but most degrees will be posted within a couple of weeks following the conferral date.
Follow these instructions to download a degree verification letter.
Is the degree verification letter an official document?
Yes, a degree verification letter is an official document on a letterhead with the University Registrar’s signature and seal.
I'm a graduate student and deposited my dissertation last week, can I get a degree verification letter?
No, a degree verification will only be available once a degree is posted. If you have completed all degree requirements and deposited your thesis or dissertation and are waiting until the next degree conferral date to receive your degree, you may request a degree completion letter instead.
My employer/loan provider said they can't verify my degree, what's going on?
Timing:
The employer, loan provider or other 3rd party might have attempted to verify enrollment before you signed up for classes and/or before the information was reported to the National Student Clearinghouse*. Please note enrollment information is sent to the National Student Clearinghouse following the first day of classes.
If you are in need of enrollment verification for student loan purposes after you have enrolled but before enrollment has been reported to the National Student Clearinghouse, you can ask your lender for a loan deferment form. The Office of the Registrar can verify enrollment for the upcoming semester on this form.
* The National Student Clearinghouse is a nationwide verification service.
Privacy restrictions:
Under FERPA, UW-Madison won’t verify education records if you have selected to block the release of information related to your name, major field of study, dates of attendance and degree information. If such restrictions are in place, degree information will only be verified if the requestor provides us with a release you have signed.
To review and edit privacy restrictions, see this guide.
Enrollment Verification
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Is the enrollment verification letter an official document?
Yes, an enrollment verification letter is an official document on a letterhead with the University Registrar’s signature and seal.
Will an enrollment letter list all enrolled terms?
You may select to include currently enrolled terms (current term and any future terms you have enrolled for) or all enrolled terms (past, current, and future). Read full instructions.
How can I get an enrollment letter with proof of my "Good Academic Standing"?
Undergraduate and University Special students- you may add your academic standing to an enrollment letter by selecting the “Include Academic Standing” checkbox when generating an enrollment letter.
Note: Academic standing will not display for ‘Currently Enrolled Terms’ since it is only calculated at the end of a given term.
How can I get an enrollment letter with my expected graduation date/other notes?
Please contact us at registrar@em.wisc.edu with your request.
I'm a new student, why can't I get an enrollment letter?
Enrollment verification letters will be available once you enroll in classes. If you’re a new incoming student who has yet to enroll in any courses (e.g an incoming freshman who cannot enroll before attending SOAR), an enrollment letter will not be available.
My employer/loan provider said they can't verify my enrollment for the term, what's going on?
Timing:
The employer, loan provider or other 3rd party might have attempted to verify enrollment before you signed up for classes and/or before the information was reported to the National Student Clearinghouse*. Please note enrollment information is sent to the National Student Clearinghouse following the first day of classes.
If you are in need of enrollment verification for student loan purposes after you have enrolled but before enrollment has been reported to the National Student Clearinghouse, you can ask your lender for a loan deferment form. The Office of the Registrar can verify enrollment for the upcoming semester on this form.
* The National Student Clearinghouse is a nationwide verification service.
Privacy restrictions:
Under FERPA, UW-Madison won’t verify education records if you have selected to block the release of information related to your name, enrollment status and dates of attendance. If such restrictions are in place, enrollment information will only be verified if the requestor provides us with a release you have signed.
To review and edit privacy restrictions, see this guide.
College Reports
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Why are you no longer providing college reports or dean’s certifications?
The academic information requested in a college report (cumulative GPA, GPA scale, enrollment dates, academic standing, and eligibility to return to UW–Madison) is already available in official transcripts, which you can receive at no cost and which many students already provide as part of the transfer process.
What if the school(s) I’m seeking to transfer to have questions?
The Office of the Registrar will send school(s) a letter on your behalf stating we no longer provide college reports or dean’s certifications and that they should rely on the information provided in your official transcript. Please contact our office if you would like us to send a copy of this letter to your school(s).