Help! I Lost My College Diploma!

How many people can say they know exactly where their college diploma is? If you don't have it framed and hung on your wall, it's in a box somewhere. When did you last see it? Even if it's framed, it can easily be misplaced when packing and moving. And if you've ever had a flood or fire, many of your important papers, including your college diploma, may have been lost, vanished forever. A diploma is proof you graduated from your college; without it, you may need to order transcripts or jump through other hoops to prove your education.

Whether or not you can get a replacement copy of your college diploma depends upon where you went to school. Some institutions of higher education adamantly refuse to issue a replacement copy of a college diploma. They will provide you with certified copies of your transcripts, or letters that document your graduation and the degree conferred, but if your college diploma is lost, they will not give you a replacement copy.

Some colleges, such as McGill University, require you to present an affidavit swearing to the loss of your diploma in order to get a replacement copy. Others, such as the University of Southern California, require you to provide the damaged original college diploma, or a copy of an insurance claim for fire or flood loss. Some colleges will issue duplicate diplomas upon request, but they may be clearly marked "copy." Replacement copies will be signed by current university officers; it will not be an actual copy of your original diploma.

Most colleges will not give you a replacement copy of a college diploma bearing a different name, because the diplomas must match the names on your college records. But other colleges will reissue your diploma with both your maiden and married name, for example. This depends upon the school you attended; you are stuck with whatever the college's policy about ordering replacement diplomas is.

You may be able to determine your alma mater's policy about getting a replacement copy of your diploma, by checking their Web site, or you can call to ask. However, to actually request a replacement copy of your diploma, you will probably have to send them a letter.
Colleges are bound by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA); this says that only the actual student can see his or her own record or request transcripts. To release a transcript at the student's request, written permission is required. So if you lost your spouse's college diploma, for example, or want a copy of your child's college diploma, you can't surprise them with a replacement; only the person who actually attended the college can make the request.

Find out if your alma mater has a specific form that needs to be completed in order to request a replacement copy of a lost degrees.

Because of FERPA, all requests must be in writing, not by fax or email. This is meant to protect you against someone else fraudulently gaining access to your records. As a result, getting a replacement college diploma may take a month, or up to three months. The cost for the replacement service may be as little as $15 or as high as $100.