Student Records Regulations

Access to Records

Northern Lights College regards the information contained in a student’s permanent record as personal and private. Therefore, no transcript or other personal information about a student will be released except in the following circumstances:

• Information released to the student;
• Information released under a Release of Information form signed by the student;
• Information, pertaining to delinquent debts owed by students to the college, released to the college’s collection agents to facilitate recovery of such debts;
• Information released in response to a court order;
• Information, pertaining to delinquent debts owed by students to the Canada Student Loan program, released to the government’s collection agents to facilitate recovery of such debts; and,
• Information released to government departments for the purpose of statistical analysis and research, provided there is an assurance of confidentiality.

As a provincial government public body, Northern Lights College complies with British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). FIPPA requires us to:

• provide the public with the right to access records of which NLC has custody of or control
• provide individuals with the right to access and correct personal information about themselves
• withhold from disclosure certain records as specified in exemptions to the Act
• prevent the unauthorized collection, use or disclosure of personal information
• provide routine public information and personal information about the person requesting it
• provide information in response to a formal FIPPA request
• respond to privacy breaches when they occur, and report as necessary to the Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner

To request a copy of your student file, submit an email to records@nlc.bc.ca.  The fee for Student Records requests, including legal and FIPPA requests is $10 each, plus $0.25/page and includes an unofficial transcript.

Enrolment Verification Letters

Students who need Enrolment Verification for an employer or Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) may ask for an official letter from Student Records.

Send an email to records@nlc.bc.ca containing your full name, student ID number, and the information you would like to be included in the letter. Allow up to 5 business days for completion.

Please note:  The College reserves the right to withhold official records for students in arrears or with outstanding books or tools.

Confirmation of Enrolment forms for RESP and external scholarships

If you have a form that you need filled out to confirm your enrolment (e.g. Heritage forms for RESP or a bursary letter from your high school), email the form to records@nlc.bc.ca for completion.  Be sure to include your full name and student ID number in the body of your email. Allow up to 5 business days for completion.

Confirmation of Enrolment forms for government student loans

Only the Financial Aid and Awards department is authorized to complete forms for government student loans - for example, StudentAid BC, OSAP, Student Aid Alberta, etc.

Submit these forms to finaid@nlc.bc.ca.  

Retention of Student Records

Academic Records, including all information appearing on a Transcript of Academic Record, are retained indefinitely.

All transcripts and supporting documents submitted with an application for admission become the property of NLC and are under no circumstances returned to the applicant.

Students who submit irreplaceable material may request the return of that material. Such requests must be submitted with the original material. The office to which the material is submitted will return the material as soon as possible and not later than six months after the student’s graduation or last registration.

All instructors’ records of all student marks (e.g., marks, books, breakdowns of marks) shall be retained by the instructional area for 12 months after the conclusion of a course. Final examination papers are the property of NLC. For the purposes of appeal, all major examination papers or assignments not returned to students must be retained by the instruction area for 12 months after the submission of the final grade.

All students will be given the opportunity to review their final examination papers, but the ultimate disposal of both the examinations and completed papers is the sole responsibility of the appropriate department and/or faculty member. All instructors using a common examination must agree if these documents are to be returned to the students.

Student ID Cards

All students enrolled and assessed Technology fees are eligible for an NLC Student ID card for the period of attendance.  Cards may be issued up to two weeks prior to the start of classes.

NLC Student ID Cards are valid for up to one year, expiring every August. If your card has expired and you are still an NLC student, you can extend the expiry date of your card by requesting a renewal sticker.

Replacements for lost or stolen cards, or if you want to update your photo, are subject to a nominal fee.

Visit https://www.nlc.bc.ca/student-records/ for details on how to obtain your NLC Student ID card.

Official Transcripts

An official transcript is a copy of the student’s permanent academic record imprinted with the signature of the Registrar and issued on paper with security features that support authenticity of the record. Official transcripts are printed and enclosed in a Northern Lights College envelope. Each envelope is sealed with a silver holographic seal indicating that an official record is enclosed.  Official transcripts are not issued by email.

Transcripts reflect all courses taken or transferred to Northern Lights College; partial transcripts are not issued. Credentials appear on a transcript once a student’s graduation has been conferred.

How to order your Official Transcript

Official Transcripts must be requested by a student and are subject to a nominal fee. All student obligations relating to fees, library books, rentals or borrowed equipment or other materials must be met before official transcripts will be released. The College reserves the right to withhold official records for students in arrears or with outstanding books or tools.

• Fill out the Official Transcript Request form and follow the instructions on it to submit and make your payment.

• Service options:
  • REGULAR - transcripts are ready within five (5) business days of request and payment.
  • RUSH - transcripts ordered before 2:00 PM are ready after 11:00 AM the next business day. A surcharge applies for rush orders. Rush service is not available when you choose the “hold for end-of-semester grades” or “hold for graduation” special instruction options.
• Delivery options:
  • MAIL - sealed transcripts are sent to the mailing address you indicate on your order form.
    • Regular orders are sent by Canada Post regular mail.
    • Rush orders to a Canadian address are sent by XpressPost service.
    • Rush orders to international addresses are sent by regular mail.
    • Courier services are not available. Students who wish transcripts to be couriered must make their own arrangements.
  •  PICK UP - sealed transcripts are held for you to pick up at the NLC campus you indicate on your order form. Note that transit time between campuses is not included in the service time to produce official transcripts.
    • You must present photo ID when picking up your transcript order. Your ID must match the name on your transcript.
    • Only you are allowed to pick up your official transcript. Under special circumstance, a signed letter of permission accompanying the third party may be acceptable for individuals picking up transcripts on behalf of the student.
• Options for special instructions: 
  • Issue immediately - transcripts are issued now according to the service option (Regular or Rush) that you select.
  • HOLD for end-of-semester grades - transcripts are issued after your final grades for the current semester are recorded on your student record. This option is available for the current semester only. Rush service is not available.
  • HOLD for graduation - transcripts are issued after the Office of the Registrar confirms your eligibility to graduate. You must have applied to graduate to select this option. Rush service is not available.

 
How to access your unofficial transcript

You have access to unofficial transcripts 24/7 through Borealis.  There are no fees to view or print your unofficial transcripts.

To access your transcript online:

1. Log into Borealis
2. Select Academic from the vertical grey menu on the left-hand side
3. Choose Unofficial Transcript
4. Click the Unofficial Transcript link to open a PDF of your unofficial transcript

 How to read your transcript

• Your transcript is organized by term, and includes summary information including credentials awarded at the top.
• Repeated courses are indicated by a title reading “same course as…”.
• If Transfer Credit is present, it will be shown at the end. For information about how a GPA is calculated, see the GPA Information page.