Methods of Obtaining Authentic Academic Documents

The single most important step in credential evaluation and international student admissions is ensuring the authenticity of educational credentials. In this article we share the practices and experience of World Education Services (WES) in validating credentials.

Since WES published "Forged Educational Credentials: A Sorry Tale" some 20 years ago, a great deal has changed. International student mobility has grown by leaps and bounds and we now have greater access to information on foreign educational systems, institutions and programs. Electronic communication allows us to correspond quickly and efficiently with academic institutions anywhere in the world.

The New Approach to Documentation

The traditional approach to detecting fraud relies mainly on the ability of admissions officers to scrutinize documents they have received to check whether they contain errors or discrepancies. This system is not especially reliable or practical simply because the huge volume and diversity of credentials makes it virtually impossible to inspect each document closely. Hence, the only way we can effectively eliminate fraud is by changing our approach. Instead of trying to detect false documents after they have been submitted, we need to prevent them from being submitted in the first place by adopting rigorous standards for receiving academic credentials.

The Facts

The majority of international students who come to the United States do so at great expense. Their aim is to further their education and earn the skills and qualifications that will help them succeed professionally. It takes a great deal of grit and determination on the part of these students to meet all the eligibility requirements for admission to U.S. institutions of higher education.

Among the thousands of well-qualified applicants there are those who will attempt to gain admission to U.S. institutions by using fraudulent documents. By instituting rigorous documentation policies and enforcing them, institutions can select qualified candidates, minimize fraud and protect the integrity of their admission process.

How to Recognize International Educational Credentials

Credentials are acceptable only when they are issued by authorized educational institutions. Before accepting a document as valid, the following questions should be asked:

1. Does the institution exist?
2. What is the status of the institution?
3. Does it offer the program that is indicated on the document?
4. Did the candidate complete the prerequisites for admission into the program that led to the credential in question?

Existence of Institutions

The existence of an academic institution must be verified by checking independent sources. This means that the institution must be listed in an authoritative source, such as the Web site of the ministry of education of the country in question, a contemporary edition of the International Handbook of Universities or the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook. There are many other authoritative publications, and any legitimate institution will be listed in one or more of them. 

Non-university institutions are not usually included in the major reference publications and one has to dig a bit deeper and check information published by the educational authorities of the country in question or in other publications published by third parties.

Important Rule : A catalog or brochure published by an institution itself can be a useful source for additional information, but should never be relied upon as the sole source of information about the existence or status of a particular institution.

Status of an Institution

Every country has laws and regulations that govern the establishment, recognition and status of academic institutions within its jurisdiction. It is essential that credential evaluators be familiar with those regulations and how they are applied. Public (state) institutions are generally recognized. The status and recognition of private institutions can vary depending on the country:

	Private schools can operate but not call themselves "university" (e.g. India).
	Private universities may be allowed to operate but without the authority to award recognized degrees (e.g. France).
	Institutions and programs are not recognized in the country where they are physically located but they are accredited in a third country (e.g. American University of Paris).
	Specific programs and degrees are recognized but the institutions themselves are not recognized (e.g. Mexico).
	Newly recognized institutions may have issued credentials before they were recognized (former communist countries in Eastern & Central Europe).

The number of online and distance university programs has increased in the past decade and thousands of students worldwide are enrolled in such programs. Because the Internet is unregulated, anyone can set up and market courses, programs and even entire online institutions. It is absolutely critical to track down and establish the status of online or distance education providers in their country of origin.

Programs of Study

It is important to establish whether a given course of study is offered at a particular institution. Programs of study can also change as institutions update old programs or add new ones. Programs can be checked in the major publications, such as the International Handbook of Universities or the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook. Many institutions maintain comprehensive Web sites that list and describe the programs they offer.

What Constitutes an Authentic Document?

A document is authentic when it is issued by an academic institution, by an examination board or by a legal entity authorized to issue academic documents.

How Does One Ensure the Authenticity of Documents?

How to Communicate with a Foreign Institution

To expedite the verification, the request and relevant documents should be sent by fax. Replies by fax or e-mail are acceptable, provided that the name, e-mail address or fax number of the sender can be found on the institution's website or in one of the published references.

Acceptable Verifications of Authenticity

Documents must be authenticated by authorized officials at the institutions that issued them. Verifications issued by embassies, consulates, public notaries or other officials that are outside of the academic institution are not usually acceptable.

Accepting Documents from Students

Traditionally, U.S. universities would accept documents from international students because many institutions abroad generally would not send transcripts directly to the U.S. Today more and more academic institutions worldwide are capable of sending documents directly to U.S. institutions, and students should be required to arrange for their records to be sent directly from their home institutions. When an institution is unable to send documents directly, the documents submitted by students can be sent back for verification.

How Long Does Verification Take?

The time that it takes to obtain responses from institutions abroad varies by country and institution. Some institutions take several weeks or months to reply while others respond quickly, in a matter of days or weeks. The turn around time has been decreasing steadily due to the widespread use of fax and email. It is important that students be advised to submit their applications early to allow for the necessary verification.

Translations

Documents are frequently issued in the official language of the country of origin. Translations vary greatly in quality, whether they are done in the U.S. or in the home country, even when they are done by professional translators. Unless issued in English directly by the academic institutions themselves, documents translated in English must be submitted together with the original language documents issued by the institutions.

Countries where universities issue documents directly in English

	Asia: Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand
	Middle East: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen
	Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan
	European Countries: The Diploma Supplement is now issued in English by more and more institutions in Europe regardless of the national language of the particular country. European students should be asked to submit their post secondary academic transcripts issued in English by their institutions according to the Diploma Supplement template developed by the Joint European Commission/Council of Europe/UNESCO Working Party.

There are many more countries where institutions can issue transcripts in English for students who are bound for the United States. Students from those countries should be required to submit their official transcripts in English directly from the institutions that they attended. When a transcript is issued in English by an institution there is no need to request documents in the original language as the English language transcript is an official transcript.

Setting Documentation Requirements

To ensure maximum and timely compliance, candidates must be given clear instructions on the documents that they must submit, how to submit them, and all the deadlines that apply. To avoid confusion, instructions for students should be written in language that they could understand easily using terminology that is familiar to them. For example the term 'transcript' can mean a syllabus in some countries and what is called a 'transcript' in the U.S. is known in India as a 'mark sheet' or 'statement of marks'.

"Accreditation" is another word that is not universally used although the concept is more widely understood now than ever before. When checking the status of an academic institution, asking for its "accreditation" might not always yield the desired response. The request should be for official information or documentation that attests to the institution's "recognition" by the appropriate educational authority in that country.

What to Request in Specific Countries or Regions

	China: Transcripts, graduation and degree certificates issued in Chinese by the academic institution.
	North Africa(Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) & Lebanon: As it is easier to read documents written in the Latin alphabet, students should be asked to have their credentials issued in French directly by the academic institution.
	Latin America: Degree/certificate (Título/Licenciado); transcripts (Certificado de Notas/Calificaciones) listing all subjects studied, with the corresponding grades and credits or hours of study.
	Russian Federation: Students who have not completed their programs and earned diplomas should provide academic transcripts known as Academicheskaya Spravka (academic certificate). Students who have graduated with a diploma should submit the Prilozhenie k Diplomu (supplement to the diploma) or Arkhivnaya Spravka (archival certificate).

How to Detect Fraudulent Documents

The most effective and reliable way of combating fraudulent documents is to adhere to strict document requirements and to insist on receiving credentials in the appropriate form directly from the institutions that issue them.

Documents taken from an applicant must be reviewed with great care. The presence of certain indicators dictates that a document be sent back for verification to the institution that issued it. Some of those clues are as follows:

	The document shows grades that are very high by the standards of a system where grades are typically clustered at the lower end.
	The format of the document is unusual for the institution or the system of education.
	The document contains inconsistent typeface elements.
	The document contains spelling errors.
	The document is marked as "confidential" and yet it is submitted by an applicant.
	The transcript or diploma is a colored photocopy.
	Lines, words, numbers, etc. appear crooked on the page.
	Lines, words, numbers, etc. are missing from the use of white-out.
	The document is not signed and/or sealed.

These are blatant clues that a document may not be authentic. But as counterfeiters now use sophisticated computers and printers, the documents that they produce can be flawless and are not easy to detect. Only strict standards for the submission and receipt of academic credentials can help eliminate fraudulent documents.

Degree/Diploma Mills

Degree mills are shady outfits that sell degrees and transcripts that are not backed up by appropriate study or examinations. Although they usually give themselves legitimate sounding university names, degree mills operate out of mail drops and are difficult to trace. They are quite prevalent on the Internet where they pose as distance learning institutions. Many degree mills claim to be 'accredited' by one or more fictitious 'national' 'international', 'worldwide' or 'global' accrediting agencies. Some degree mill operators have been able to acquire URLs ending in <.edu> that they try to use as proof that they are legitimate academic institutions.

Documents issued by 'universities' with addresses that are office suites or P.O. Box numbers, and whose existence cannot be verified in any authoritative independent publication, should be rejected out-of-hand.

Establishing the existence and status of an institution is the first step in accepting any educational document. If that is done diligently, documents from degree mills are easily detected and eliminated. The most comprehensive list of degree mills can be found at:
< http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.html >

Revised 04/06