Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Legal Matters => Topic started by: Sebb on May 17, 2013, 05:05:20 PM

Title: Name Change on High School Diploma?
Post by: Sebb on May 17, 2013, 05:05:20 PM
I was just wondering, does anyone have experience with that? I plan to hopefully get my name changed in the near future. I graduated high school a year ago and I was just wondering, can I ever get that changed? Has anyone ever done it? Is that sort of thing possible?

I was going through some of my old crap with my mom and saw my degree... It made me a bit sick to see that name. I guess I was just wondering if I could get it corrected.
Title: Re: Name Change on High School Diploma?
Post by: Constance on May 17, 2013, 05:23:58 PM
I'm going through that process now, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

For the record, I graduated in 1988.
Title: Re: Name Change on High School Diploma?
Post by: Sebb on May 17, 2013, 06:41:06 PM
Quote from: Constance on May 17, 2013, 05:23:58 PM
I'm going through that process now, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

For the record, I graduated in 1988.
Oh wow, that's quite some time ago.

It seems like there's not too much information on it, so any experience you have would be awesome.
Title: Re: Name Change on High School Diploma?
Post by: suzifrommd on May 17, 2013, 06:52:19 PM
Quote from: Sebb on May 17, 2013, 06:41:06 PM
Oh wow, that's quite some time ago.

Are you kidding? Connie's a kid. When I graduated she was still learning her times tables.
Title: Re: Name Change on High School Diploma?
Post by: xander on May 17, 2013, 10:10:02 PM
You should be able to change any legal document with a name change certificate.
Title: Re: Name Change on High School Diploma?
Post by: King Malachite on May 17, 2013, 10:26:33 PM
Thanks for this thread.  I'm interested in this too as I plan on changing my high school diploma and college degree in the future. 
Title: Re: Name Change on High School Diploma?
Post by: Chamillion on May 18, 2013, 05:36:06 AM
Ya you should be able to change it, you may have to pay a fee, http://www.ehow.com/how_7728989_name-high-school-diploma-changed.html (http://www.ehow.com/how_7728989_name-high-school-diploma-changed.html)

I never changed mine. My Bachelor's degree has the right name so whatever  :P
Title: Re: Name Change on High School Diploma?
Post by: tgchar21 on May 18, 2013, 07:47:39 AM
In the U.S. your success will largely depend on the district's/school's policy. Some will be happy to change it with proof, while others won't change your name at all. No one as far as I know has tested it in court, but some argue that FERPA might require public schools to allow you to update your name (if you graduated from a private school you're basically on your own). Here's another tip I learned from someone whose child's last name was changed: Some schools require the name on your records be exactly the same as on your birth certificate, so if you've amended your birth certificate to reflect your new name you might try presenting that and not just the court order. (The school in question here wouldn't change the student's last name with just the court papers, and had to get a BC amendment.)