Requesting Transcripts For The Penn Foster High School Program

If you're applying to the High School Completion Program at Penn Foster, you may be able to transfer in credits from your previous high school experience. After your application is approved to move forward, Guild will work to order your transcripts on your behalf if you consented within the Guild application. If Guild is not able to, though, then you will be required to submit your transcripts yourself.

See below for the steps and FAQs for requesting transcripts! (Also, feel free to review some additional Penn Foster FAQs by clicking here).

What Are Transcripts?

A transcript is basically a list of the classes you completed in high school. There are two types of transcripts, unofficial and official. Only official transcripts are required for this program. To learn more about transcripts, click here!

Official transcripts are usually in a sealed envelope or are sometimes a digital copy from a transcript service. They are used to transfer in credits from previous high school experience. 

Note: If your previous high school experience came from Penn Foster High School (you are currently/previously enrolled in Penn Foster as a self-paid high school student, please review this article.

Application Process

To learn more about how to apply to the High School Completion program, click here!

After you’ve applied, you will receive an email letting you know whether or not your Guild application is approved to move forward. Once your application is approved, Guild will attempt to order your official transcripts on your behalf and send them directly to Penn Foster. If Guild is not able to get your transcripts, then we will let you know and you will need to order them yourself. Here are the steps for both processes: 

Steps for Guild Ordering Transcripts: 

1. Guild lets you know when your application is approved to move forward
2. Guild attempts to order your transcripts on your behalf
3. If successful, Guild sends transcripts directly to Penn Foster for you
4. After you are fully enrolled at Penn Foster (within 2-3 weeks of your start date), Penn Foster will evaluate your transcript and confirm any transferred credits

Steps for Ordering Transcripts Yourself: 

1. Guild lets you know when your application is approved to move forward
2. Guild attempts to order your transcripts on your behalf
3. If unsuccessful, Guild will let you know and you will need to order transcripts yourself
4. We will provide resources at that time to help you with the process

Your transcript will be evaluated by Penn Foster after your program start date. This typically takes 2-3 weeks, and you will receive an email with evaluation results. If you have questions about the transcript evaluation you have received, please contact Penn Foster.

Best Practices for Ordering Transcripts  

You can gather transcripts from ALL high schools you've previously attended, or access your GED scores if you’ve ever passed any tests. 

If you have completed one or more sections of the GED, you can send your proof of completion to your Guild coach and they can attach them to your application for you. The following documents are acceptable:

1. A screenshot of your GED scores from GED.com (make sure your First and Last Name are visible in this screenshot)
2. A GED Transcript

Please ensure that the above documents include the test subject, the score, and your full name. If your name has changed since taking the GED, please provide name change documentation. If you’re unsure how to submit these to your coach, you can select the “Contact a Coach” option on the Guild website. 

When and Where to Send Official Transcripts

If you’re required to order transcripts on your own, here are some guidelines for doing so:  

When: 

• After you have submitted your application on the Guild website and after you have been accepted into the program, your transcripts should be ordered ASAP. 
  
  
• Your transcripts can be submitted before your start date or as you begin in the Penn Foster program. The sooner you send them, though, the better.
  
  
• After your transcripts are sent, you will get an email from Penn Foster when they’ve received them. 

Where: 

• You will need to get in contact with your previous high school and request an Official Transcript.
  
  
• If your high school subscribes to Parchment, you can order your transcript online.
  
  
• If your high school can send official transcripts electronically, please send them to Guild directly at [e-mail]. We will forward them to Penn Foster and will let you know once they’ve been received.
  
  
• If your high school can only send transcripts via mail, then make sure that they are sent in a sealed envelope directly to Penn Foster. If physically mailing them, you can send to this address: 

Penn Foster
ATTN: Stephanie Benoit - Guild B2B
925 Oak St.
Scranton, PA 18515

• If your school sends your official transcript directly to you*, put the sealed envelope in another blank envelope and send it to the same address listed above. 
• *Don’t open the envelope with your official transcript inside! Once you open the envelope, it becomes an unofficial transcript.
  
  

• If your school is being unresponsive, please reach out to our support team at [e-mail], and they can provide you with an Official Transcript Request form

How Are Transcripts Evaluated?

Once Penn Foster receives your transcripts, they will compare the classes you completed in high school with their own curriculum. Often, full-credit classes that you have passed and that match will be awarded as transfer credits. This ensures that you won't have to re-take any courses that you already have taken in high school. No transfer credit will be awarded until official transcripts have been received and evaluated by Penn Foster. 

Other Things to Know About Transcripts

• If you did not complete any high school courses, you will not be required to send your official transcript.
  
  
• Not having an official transcript won't stop you from starting the program on your start date.
  
  
• If you don’t want to transfer your previous credits to your degree, you can opt-out of sending transcripts within your application. Note that with this option, you’ll be starting your degree from the beginning and will not have any previous credits.
  
  
• Penn Foster allows up to 16 credits to be transferred in. The Penn Foster program requires 21.5 credits total to receive your diploma.
  
  
• The first three courses in Penn Foster can't be transferred in. This gives you extra time to get your official transcript submitted. 

Still Can’t Find Your Transcripts?

• If it’s been a while since you attended school, your school has closed down, or you were homeschooled, you may need to contact your state’s Department of Education to request your transcripts.
  
  
• For students in California who have passed the California High School Proficiency Examination, you can request transcripts by clicking here.
  
  
• If you attended high school outside of the U.S. and your transcripts are in a language other than English, you will need to have them translated before submitting them to Penn Foster. To learn how to do so, you will need to talk to a Guild coach first. Click here to learn more about how to apply with foreign credentials!