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Certification FAQ

What can be included in a certification letter?
Any or all of the following can be verified in your certification letter:
  • Your attendance (for all terms or only the most recent term)
    • For each term, your enrollment will be listed as full-time, 3/4-time, half-time, less than 1/2-time, or no units
  • Cumulative GPA and credits (for all terms or only the most recent term)
  • Expected graduation date (provided by the student)
  • Degree/Certificate awarded
  • Degree GPA (GPA as of the date your degree was conferred; available only for undergraduate degrees)
A certification letter can only verify your current or past enrollment; it cannot include future terms for which you have not yet registered.
When can I request a certification letter instead of a transcript?
Depending on what information you need to verify and for whom, a certification letter may be sufficient. If you need to verify only your full-time status and GPA, for example, you may wish to request a certification letter instead of a transcript.
Requesting a certification letter instead of a transcript may also save you money. Unless you need fax/rush service (available for a $10 fee), certification letters are issued free of charge.
What if my credit load has been reduced due to illness, injury, or medical or physical disability?
Minnesota law allows a student who takes at least 60 percent of a full-time credit load to qualify as a full-time student for purposes of continued health care coverage on a family policy if the reduced credit load is due to illness, injury, or mental or physical disability and with appropriate documentation from a physician.
Health plan companies are responsible for informing you of this option, if it applies to you. You can receive certification of your credit load and the number of credits required for a 60 percent credit load at all One Stop Student Services centers. Your physician should then forward your certification with the appropriate medical documentation to your insurance company.
More information about deferments and other exceptions to the definitions of full-time and half-time status are available on the credit guidelines for certification page, or by contacting the One Stop Student Services by e-mail, by phone, or in person.
Do I always need a certification letter to defer my existing loans?
No. The University participates in the National Student Clearinghouse, which notifies many lenders about students' enrollment status.
The University submits a tape of students' registration statuses to the Clearinghouse three times each semester (starting the end of the second week). The Clearinghouse, in turn, supplies verification of registration to lending agencies. All deferment loan forms are forwarded by the Office of the Registrar to the Clearinghouse; this information is not supplied directly to lending agencies.
What if my lending agency is not a member of the Clearinghouse?
Some lenders are not members of the Clearinghouse. If you receive a loan deferment form from your lender, bring your request in person to a One Stop Student Services Center or mail it to:
One Stop Student Services
130 Coffey Hall
1420 Eckles Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
Requests can also be faxed to 612-625-4351.
What if my loan should be deferred, but I receive a collections letter?
If you have enrolled late or had an exception processed to your registration, your enrollment information may not be reported until the submission of the next tape. The Clearinghouse asks that if you receive a collections letter from a lending agency, you:
  • Call the lending agency to see if a deferment form was received between the time the Clearinghouse supplies this information and the lending agency sent the collection letter.
  • If, after calling the lending agency, it still appears that your deferment has not been processed, you may call the Clearinghouse, 703-742-7791, and ask for a student service representative. The representative will verify the date on which the deferment form was received by the Clearinghouse, the date the deferment was certified and mailed, the registration status that was certified, and where the forms were sent.
  • If an emergency exists (for example, you are being threatened with default) the Clearinghouse will intervene on your behalf by faxing another deferment to the lending agency and will work with them to ensure the form is processed on a high priority.