Official transcripts are required for each high school, university, college, CEGEP, junior college, graduate school or other postsecondary institution that you currently attend, previously attended or withdrew from.
This includes transcripts for:
- Work taken on Letter of Permission
- Transfer credit
- Exchange program credit
Read the transcript requirements carefully, as some types of transcripts must be ordered within your application, while others you will need to order directly from your institution.
What makes a transcript “official”?
To be official, transcripts must meet these criteria:
- Be sent directly from the registrar’s office
- Be either:
- printed on the institution’s official transcript paper and imprinted with the school’s seal and/or bear the appropriate signatures or
- sent electronically, where that procedure is established.
If you are not able to provide official transcripts, you must contact each university’s admission office directly for advice.
Forwarding Your Transcripts to Ontario Universities
Do not send printed transcripts and supporting documents to the OUAC. We cannot forward these documents to the universities and will not return them to you.
There are special procedures for obtaining transcripts from:
- Ontario high schools (for students not currently enrolled)
- British Columbia (BC) high schools
- Quebec CEGEPs
- Ontario universities and colleges
- Some BC universities and colleges
All other high school and postsecondary transcripts: You must request all other high school and postsecondary transcripts directly from the institution and send them directly to the universities you are applying to. Contact each university’s admission office for further information.
If you add a new university to your application, you must arrange to have your official transcripts sent to this new university using the same procedures listed on this web page.
- Exception: Ontario high school, BC high school and Quebec CEGEP transcripts received at the OUAC using the procedures listed on this web page will be automatically forwarded to any new university selections you subsequently add.
It is important that your OUAC Reference Number, full legal last name/family name, given names and any former last names/family names appear on all transcripts. This will ensure your documents are properly handled.
High School Transcripts
Ontario High Schools (for students not currently enrolled)
Certain Ontario high schools allow you to request your official high school transcript electronically (completed courses only) through OCAS. You can access it from the Undergraduate Application in the Transcripts section under “Transcripts from Ontario High Schools” and “Check if my high school participates”. Any transcripts you request through this process will be redirected to your university selections.
Note: Updates to any information on these transcripts are not automatically sent to the OUAC. If your information changes, you will need to make a new request using the same online service.
If your high school is not included in this online service:
- Contact them to arrange for them to send your official transcript directly to your university choices.
- Ask your high school to indicate your OUAC Reference Number on your transcript.
- Note: The OUAC does not accept these as hard-copy transcripts, nor do we forward them to your university selections.
Grades for BC High School Students
The OUAC acts as an agent for Ontario universities to collect course information, assessments and grades electronically through the Ministry of Education and Child Care in BC for BC high school students and some Yukon high school students.
If this applies to you, provide your BC Personal Education Number (PEN) in your application. You must also authorize the Ministry to release your academic record to the OUAC through StudentTranscripts Service (STS).
The OUAC collects the academic records for both previous and current-year students on an ongoing basis.
Quebec CEGEP Transcripts
An automated process sends the bulletin d’études collégiales to Ontario universities for applicants who attended or are currently attending a Quebec CEGEP.
If this applies to you, indicate your Quebec CEGEP Code Permanent in your application to allow the OUAC to collect and transfer your grades electronically. You do not need to forward hard-copy transcripts from your CEGEP.
Transcripts from Ontario Universities and Colleges
Online Transcript Request
Official transcripts are required for any Ontario university or college that you attend, have attended or have withdrawn from.
You must request your transcript through your application, unless otherwise noted in the Exceptions for Online Transcript Requests.
By completing an online transcript request and forwarding the appropriate fees, you authorize the OUAC to arrange for your official transcripts to be sent to the university choice(s) you selected; you do not need to contact the registrar’s office(s) directly.
You can access the online transcript request in your application by selecting “Transcripts”.
Additional Information
- If you are currently enrolled, some universities may require you to send multiple transcripts to satisfy different deadlines. Before making your request, check deadlines and requirements to ensure that you are selecting the appropriate timing, as you cannot cancel or change submitted requests.
- If you have already taken courses at the university you are now applying to, you do not need to request that transcript. However, if you make a transcript request, the OUAC will process it and will not refund the fee.
- Request only 1 transcript to be sent to each university you are applying to. If you have applied to more than 1 program at any 1 university, you will need to send only 1 transcript to that university. Exception: You must order a transcript for each affiliate, campus or university college at:
- Guelph and Guelph-Humber
- Western University (Huron, King’s, Main)
The OUAC is not responsible for the refusal of any institution to provide transcripts (e.g., delinquent accounts, incorrect identification). If you do not resolve these issues in a timely manner, your university choice(s) may not consider your transcript(s) upon their release.
Transcript Request Fees
The OUAC collects transcript request fees on behalf of the institutions.
For more information, and for a listing of each institution’s transcript request fee, refer to Transcript Request Fees.
Transcript request fees are non-refundable.
By completing an online transcript request and submitting it with your application and appropriate fees (application service fee, transcript request fees, additional choice fees and supplemental fees), you authorize the OUAC to arrange for your official transcripts to be sent to the university choice(s) you selected. Submitted requests cannot be cancelled or changed and all fees are non-refundable.
Transcripts from Douglas College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Ontario universities have agreed to accept these transcripts electronically via the OUAC’s eTranscripts process.
If you attend, have attended or have withdrawn from Douglas College and/or Kwantlen Polytechnic University, you must contact these institutions directly and ask them to submit your transcript(s) to each of your Ontario university choices via the OUAC.
Douglas College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University will not automatically send your transcripts to Ontario universities.
The OUAC matches transcripts received electronically from these institutions to your submitted application and re-routes them to each Ontario university specified.
International Transcripts
Ontario universities may require undergraduate applicants to have official international academic transcripts submitted directly to World Education Services (WES) Canada for verification as part of the admission process.
Universities will notify applicants submitting international academic transcripts regarding specific submission requirements.
All Other Transcripts
You are responsible for arranging the transfer of all other transcripts and documents not mentioned on this web page directly to the universities you apply to, not to the OUAC.
Transfer Credits
All Ontario universities offer transfer credit for courses successfully completed at recognized postsecondary institutions:
- when the courses and grades are deemed to be acceptable by the receiving institution and
- where they can be integrated into the new program.
Official transcripts are essential to the admission decision process and the universities use them to determine transfer credit or advanced standing. In some cases, the university may request that you submit detailed descriptions for the courses being considered for transfer.
Each university will correspond directly with you about these requirements.
The number of allowable transfer credits will vary according to each university’s regulations, and the nature and source of the courses in question.