Form 138 and a Transcript of Records are two different documents. Mixing them up is the single most common mistake applicants make with this requirement and it’s an easy one to avoid once you know the rule.
Form 138/SF9 covers Senior High School. A TOR covers college. Which one you actually need and how much of it depends on your exact situation, so use the sections below to find yours.
The one rule that never changes: read what the specific scholarship asks for before you request anything. “Close enough” isn’t good enough here.
Overview
Who Might Need Form 138 or a Transcript of Records for a Scholarship?
You’ll run into this requirement if you’re:
- still in Grade 12 and applying for a college scholarship;
- an SHS graduate applying for college;
- an ALS graduate;
- already studying in college;
- a college student who’s already earned units;
- applying for a scholarship while transferring schools; or
- applying for a master’s or doctoral scholarship.
Here’s the main thing to remember: there’s no single grade document that every scholarship asks for. CHED, DOST-SEI, and OWWA each phrase this requirement differently, and private providers often skip the official terms entirely, calling it a report card, grade report, or copy of grades instead.
So don’t default to whatever document you assume is “standard.” Read the requirement for your specific situation first, the sections below will walk you through exactly how.
What Are Form 138 and Transcript of Records?
Let’s clear this up first, because it’s where most applicants go wrong.
What Is Form 138 or SF9?
Form 138 is the name you’ve probably heard your whole school life it’s the older, informal name for the learner’s report card.
DepEd’s official name today is School Form 9 or SF9. A current 2026 DepEd document uses the wording Learner’s Progress Report Card or School Form 9 (SF9) [Form 138] so yes, both names refer to the same document.
That’s why you’ll see scholarship requirements phrased any of these ways:
- Form 138
- SF9
- School Form 9
- Learner’s Progress Report Card
- Grade 12 report card
Same document, different labels. But don’t get comfortable with that. Always follow the exact wording and signing instructions the scholarship Program gives you, because “same document” doesn’t always mean “same certification rules.”
What Is a Transcript of Records?
A Transcript of Records or TOR is something else completely. It’s an official college or university record showing your subjects, grades, and units earned not one term’s grades, but your whole academic history.
That’s exactly why you shouldn’t assume you need one just because you’re in college. Being a college student doesn’t automatically mean a scholarship wants your full TOR. Plenty accept a shorter, easier-to-get record instead and if that’s an option, take it. It’ll save you time.
Form 138/SF9 vs. TOR at a Glance
| Aspect | Form 138/SF9 vs. TOR |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Form 138/SF9: Senior High School. TOR: college or university registrar. |
| Covers | Form 138/SF9: one school level (K–12 grades). TOR: your entire college record every subject, grade, and unit earned. |
| Typically needed by | Form 138/SF9: Grade 12 students, SHS graduates entering college. TOR: college students, graduates, master’s/doctoral applicants. |
| Common alternate names | Form 138/SF9: SF9, Learner’s Progress Report Card. TOR: True Copy of Grades, Certified Copy of Grades, grade report. |
What Kind of Form 138 or Transcript of Records Do You Need for a Scholarship?
The fastest way to get this right is to match your current school situation to the ones below, find yours and follow it.
If You Are Still in Grade 12
You don’t need a final Form 138/SF9 yet, and most scholarships know that. What they’ll usually ask for instead is whatever grades you already have.
Example: CHED CoScho asks SHS applicants for a certified copy of their Grade 11 grades and first-semester Grade 12 grades, not a completed report card that doesn’t exist yet.
What to do: Check whether the scholarship has a separate rule for students who haven’t graduated yet. If it doesn’t say otherwise, there’s no need to wait for a final Form 138.
If You Already Graduated from Senior High School
This is where Form 138/SF9 matters most it’s the go-to document for incoming first-year college scholarships.
Example: CHED’s Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program requires a Certified True Copy of the Learner’s Progress Report Card or SF9/Form 138.
What to do: Request the Grade 12 record named by the scholarship, with the required signature or certification, an uncertified copy will get bounced back.
If You Are an ALS Graduate
A common mistake: ALS graduates assume the regular SHS-graduate requirement applies to them. It often doesn’t.
Example: Some scholarships write a separate requirement specifically for ALS applicants. CHED CoScho asks ALS graduates for a certified copy of their Grade 12 grades, a different instruction than the one given to regular SHS graduates.
What to do: Look for the ALS-specific requirement in the scholarship’s guide before assuming the standard rule covers you.
If You Already Have College Units
You probably don’t need a complete TOR. Your latest college grades are often enough.
Example: DOST-SEI JLSS accepts an Official TOR, True Copy of Grades, or a certified grade report downloaded from the school portal, your choice of the three.
What to do: Pick one and submit only that one. A TOR, a True Copy of Grades, and a portal grade report don’t always count as the same thing to a scholarship, so check which one it actually accepts before you request it.
If You Are Applying for a Master’s or Doctoral Scholarship
Here’s where a full TOR becomes likely, not just possible because the scholarship needs to check a degree you’ve already finished, not one you’re still working on.
Example: DOST-SEI’s ASTHRDP lists a Certified True Copy of the Official Transcript of Records as a hard requirement.
What to do: Confirm whether the scholarship wants your bachelor’s TOR, your master’s TOR, or both, ask if it isn’t spelled out.
What If the Scholarship Asks for a “Grade Report” Instead?
Then give them a grade report not a TOR you’ve decided is close enough.
Example: Some private scholarship providers skip the official terms entirely. Megaworld Foundation asks incoming freshmen for their final SHS grade report, and incoming sophomores and juniors for their college grade reports.
What to do: Follow the exact words the scholarship uses. A “grade report” and a TOR aren’t the same thing, so don’t submit one in place of the other unless you’ve confirmed that’s acceptable.
Where Do You Get Form 138 and Transcript of Records for Scholarship Applications?
Once the right document is identified from the situations above, here’s who actually has it.
Where Do You Get Form 138/SF9?
Go straight to the Senior High School that holds your Grade 12 record nowhere else will have it.
If the scholarship wants a Certified True Copy, say so upfront. Tell the school it’s for a scholarship application, and bring the exact requirement with you if you can.
Some programs are specific about who can sign the copy. BPMSP, for example, requires the SF9/Form 138 copy to be signed by the registrar or another authorized school representative, a random staff signature won’t cut it.
Where Do You Get Your College Grades?
Head to your college or university’s Registrar. That’s the office that handles this no other department will.
Depending on what you ask for, you might walk away with:
- a Certified Copy of Grades
- a True Copy of Grades or TCG
- a grade report
- a Transcript of Records or TOR
One thing to watch for: don’t default to asking for a TOR just because it sounds “official.” If the scholarship asks for something simpler, requesting a TOR wastes both your time and the registrar’s.
Where Do You Get a Transcript of Records?
Same office, your Registrar or the school’s official document-request service.
UP Open University is a good example of how this can work smoothly: students and graduates can request both a TOR and a True Copy of Grades through its online document-request system, no in-person visit required.
What Are the Requirements for Form 138 and Transcript of Records for Scholarship Applications?
Here’s something most applicants miss: you’re dealing with two separate checklists, what the scholarship wants, and what your school needs before it’ll hand anything over.
What Should You Check in the Scholarship Requirements?
Before you request anything, nail down:
- the exact name of the document;
- which grades must be included;
- whether it must be certified;
- who has to sign it;
- whether another document is allowed instead; and
- whether you need a scan or a physical copy.
Do this first. Skipping it is how people end up requesting and paying for the wrong document.
What Information Might Your School Ask For?
Expect to hand over:
- your full name;
- student number;
- course or program;
- year graduated or last attended;
- the document you’re requesting;
- number of copies; and
- your purpose for the request.
Every school runs this a little differently, so treat this as a general checklist, not a guarantee.
What Documents Might Your School Ask You to Submit?
Depending on the school, you may need a request form, proof of payment, clearance, valid ID, or a letter giving someone else permission to request on your behalf.
Mapúa is a clear example: it requires that permission letter and a copy of the student’s or graduate’s government-issued ID whenever someone else makes the request instead of the student directly.
Your school may work differently, so it’s worth checking first.
What Is a Certified True Copy?
A Certified True Copy is exactly what it sounds like: a copy the school has physically checked against its own record and marked or signed to confirm it’s accurate.
Here’s what it isn’t: a photocopy, a phone photo, a scan, or a screenshot you made yourself. None of those count as certified, no matter how clean they look.
If the scholarship names who must certify or sign the document, follow that instruction to the letter this is not a place to improvise.
How Do You Get Form 138 and Transcript of Records for Scholarship Applications?
With the requirements confirmed, here’s how the request process typically works.
Can You Request Them Online or In Person?
Depends entirely on the school.
Some have modernized. UP Open University, for example, takes requests through its Online Request for Documents System, so you can skip the trip.
Others still want you to show up or contact the Registrar, records office, or another school office directly. It’s worth checking rather than assuming.
What Are the Steps?
- Read the scholarship requirement. Know exactly what school record it’s asking for before you do anything else.
- Check your current school level. Make sure you’re following the right rule, Grade 12 student, SHS graduate, college student, or graduate-school applicant.
- Check which grades must appear. Your scholarship might need final SHS grades, latest college grades, or your entire college record.
- Check if it must be certified or signed.
- Check if another document is allowed instead.
- Contact the school that holds your record.
- Request the exact document you need not something close to it.
- Complete the school’s process and pay the fee, if there is one.
- Check the document the moment you get it. Confirm your name, grades, signatures, and certification are all correct before you go anywhere with it.
- Submit it using the exact method the scholarship requires.
How Long Does It Take to Get Form 138 and Transcript of Records for Scholarship Applications?
Short answer: there’s no single timeline. It depends on where you request it.
Form 138/SF9
Nothing in the scholarship guidance sets a nationwide waiting time for Form 138/SF9 because it depends entirely on your own school’s process.
Ask your Senior High School directly how long it currently takes, especially if your deadline is close.
Transcript of Records
Universities publish their own numbers, and they vary:
| University | Published Processing Time |
|---|---|
| UP Visayas | Around 7–15 working days |
| Mapúa University | Usually 15–20 working days or less |
| UP Open University | 21 working days |
UP Visayas notes the timeline depends on the type and number of documents requested and how backed up the office is. Mapúa says the same about record availability.
If the scholarship needs a TOR, request it the moment you know not the week before your deadline.
How Much Do Form 138 and Transcript of Records for Scholarship Applications Cost?
There’s no flat, nationwide price here either.
Form 138/SF9
Nothing in the scholarship sources sets a national fee for this. It genuinely comes down to your school’s own policy.
Ask your Senior High School directly whether it charges for the copy you need.
Transcript of Records
University fees differ, and here’s what’s published:
| School & Document | Published Fee |
|---|---|
| Mapúa University — Transcript of Records | ₱300 per set |
| UERM — Official Transcript of Records | ₱450 |
Mapúa also charges separately for courier delivery. Treat these as examples, not the going rate nationwide your school’s fee could be higher, lower, or set up completely differently.
Always confirm the current fee with your own school before you pay anything.
FAQ’s About Form 138 and Transcript of Records for Scholarship Applications
Is Form 138 the Same as SF9?
Yes. SF9 is simply DepEd’s current name for the document everyone still calls Form 138.
Is Form 138 the Same as Form 137?
No, and this mix-up trips people up more than you’d think. Form 138 is the report card. Form 137 is a completely different record: the learner’s permanent school file.
If the scholarship asks for Form 138/SF9, don’t hand over Form 137 instead unless you’ve confirmed it’s acceptable. OWWA is a good example of a provider that spells this out clearly, listing Form 137, certified Form 138, or TOR as acceptable proof of grades for some of its programs.
Is a True Copy of Grades the Same as a TOR?
No. Schools issue these as two separate documents. UP Open University, for instance, lists both as things you can request independently.
Can I Submit Form 138 Instead of a TOR?
Only if the scholarship clearly says yes. Don’t swap one for the other just because both happen to show grades that assumption gets applications rejected.
Can I Submit a TOR Instead of Form 138?
Same rule, reversed: only if it’s allowed. If the requirement specifically says Form 138/SF9, follow it or ask the scholarship provider directly whether a TOR works instead. Don’t guess.
Do College Students Always Need a TOR for Scholarships?
No, and this is a mistake people make in the other direction. Some scholarships want your latest grades instead; others give you several valid options. DOST-SEI JLSS, for example, accepts a TOR, a True Copy of Grades, or a certified school-portal grade report whichever is easiest for you.
Can I Use Grades Downloaded from My School Portal?
Only if the scholarship says so, and only if it’s certified. JLSS specifically accepts a certified grade report downloaded from the portal an uncertified screenshot won’t pass.
What Should I Do If My School Can’t Release the Document Before the Deadline?
Contact the scholarship provider before the deadline hits not after. Ask directly whether they’ll accept a different document. And don’t borrow a workaround from a different scholarship’s rules; confirm it with the one you’re actually applying to.
Where Can You Verify This Information?
Department of Education
Commission on Higher Education
- Commission on Higher Education — Scholarships
- Commission on Higher Education — Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPs)
- Commission on Higher Education — Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program Portal
- CHED Caraga — Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program
- CHED Caraga — Scholarship Program for Coconut Farmers and Their Families
DOST-SEI
- DOST – Science Education Institute — Junior Level Science Scholarship
- DOST – Science Education Institute — Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program