Student Records & Transcript Scanning for College & University Registrars
Digitize student records, transcripts, HR files, and payroll records from paper or microfilm — with full-text search that turns days-long transcript requests into same-day fulfillment.
Every registrar’s office has the same back room: decades of student records on paper and microfilm, and a transcript request that’s aging while somebody hunts for the right reel. Meanwhile the students who need those transcripts are on a deadline of their own.
We digitize the whole archive. Your records become searchable digital files — hosted securely by us or loaded into the system you already run — and your staff answers requests in minutes instead of days.
How we help registrars
Four ways we take your records digital. Every project is scoped to what’s actually in your archive and what you need, customized.
Paper & microfilm scanning of student records
Student records, transcripts, HR files, payroll — if it’s in the back room, we can scan it.
- Any paper size and nearly any microform format — roll film, fiche, jackets, and more
- Not sure what film you have? Here’s how to identify your microfilm type
- Your staff keeps doing the job they signed up for — we handle the scanning
- Projects measured in months, not years, using our process flow methodology
→ More on our document scanning services and our microfilm digitization services.
Hosted access & verified conversion with full-text search
Digitizing is only useful if every record made it over — and your staff can find it.
- 100% visual verification that images and data converted correctly with Digital ReeL
- Full-text search: any word or phrase on the record is findable
- Records stored securely in our NIST-compliant data center
- IP address filtering, authenticated user permissions, two-factor authentication, and audit tracking
- Staff retrieves records from an easy-to-use online viewer — same-day transcript fulfillment is the norm, not the exception
- Your current retrieval process, replicated digitally — search by student name or ID, folders labeled by fiche and film titles
→ Learn more about Digital ReeL or how it compares with a “traditional” conversion.
Export to the records system you already run
No lock-in. Your records stay yours, in formats any system can read.
- Non-proprietary output — PDF and TIF that load into any records management system
- Scan-and-import projects are a specialty — here’s exactly how that works
- Index data delivered alongside the images so records drop into place, not into a pile
→ Learn more about systems integration.
Not sure whether to host or import? Get a free project quote and we’ll walk you through both options.
How a project works
- Discovery. Boxes, reels, fiche — rough counts are fine. We’ll help you estimate.
- Scope & quote. You get a clear quote and timeline based on your actual materials — our project review process shows exactly how we get there.
- Scan & index. Every image is visually verified and indexed so records are findable by name, ID, or any text on the page.
- Deliver. Records hosted in Digital ReeL, or exported to the system you already run.
What other registrars say about BMI
California State University (Los Angeles), CA
“It used to take days to respond to a transcript request that was on our microfilm. We were pleasantly surprised with Digital ReeL’s search and retrieval speed. We now offer same-day turnaround for transcript requests that come into the office. Searches are now completed in minutes, not days.”
— Chelsey Seely, Assistant Registrar for Academic Records
Read the Cal State LA case study →
Florida Atlantic University, FL
“BMI has been a trusted partner across multiple projects, and this recent migration from Laserfiche to Digital ReeL was no exception. The process was smooth and efficient — their team set up a secure transfer, converted over 1.2 million records, and delivered everything faster than expected. The biggest impact for us has been consolidating multiple systems into one place, making it much easier to find and manage archived records. Overall, it’s been a great experience working with BMI.”
— Richard Thompson, Senior Associate Registrar of Information Technology
University of Kentucky, KY
“BMI was incredibly easy to work with throughout our digitization project. From the initial scoping through execution, their team was responsive, organized, and helped us feel confident in the process every step of the way. The sample review process was especially valuable because it gave us a clear expectation of the final product and helped demonstrate the quality and searchability of the records. Since digitizing our records with BMI, the time it takes to retrieve documents has been drastically reduced, improving access to records and supporting more efficient day-to-day operations.”
— Brittany Lawrence, Assistant Registrar
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to digitize student records and transcripts?
It depends on volume and format — microfilm prices differently than paper, and indexing depth matters. We scope every project against your actual archive, so get a free quote and you’ll have a real number instead of a guess.
How do you keep student records secure during and after scanning?
Security runs through the whole project. Hosted records live in our NIST-compliant data center behind IP address filtering, authenticated user permissions, and two-factor authentication, with audit tracking. Student records are among the most sensitive documents a school holds, and we treat them that way.
Can scanned records be imported into our existing records management system?
Yes — that’s one of our specialties. Records are delivered in non-proprietary formats (PDF, TIF) with index data, so they drop into your existing system. Here’s how a scan-and-import project works.
How fast can we fulfill transcript requests after digitizing?
Cal State LA went from days to same-day turnaround. With full-text search, staff finds a record in minutes — by student name, ID, or any word on the page.
What if we don’t know what type of microfilm we have?
Very common, and not a problem. This guide helps you identify your film type — or send us a photo of what’s in the cabinet and we’ll tell you.
How long does a student records digitization project take?
Most projects are measured in months, not years. Our process flow methodology is built to keep a project moving instead of stalling in setup.
What happens to our paper and microfilm after scanning?
Most of our clients have their records returned. Digitizing doesn’t mean giving up the source materials — the digital copies become the working access copies. However, if you want the records securely destroyed after the project, we can help with that.
Do you host the records, or do we store them ourselves?
Your choice. We can host everything in Digital ReeL at our secure data center — no campus IT lift — or deliver files in non-proprietary formats for your own system. Plenty of schools do both: hosted for legacy archives, imported for active records.
Helpful Resources
Just getting started on your digital conversion? These are good places to learn more about scanning projects:
- BMI blogs — plain-language articles about paper scanning, microfilm conversion, secure processes, and more.
- The Digital Imaging Channel — our YouTube channel that gives you long-form videos and shorts all about digitization projects.
- Project Estimator — before talking to anyone, you can see what your project may cost with our estimator tool. Great as a starting point.
Ready for same-day transcript turnaround?
Tell us what’s in your archive and we’ll put together a free project quote to get you from analog to digital.
Clients:
Trusted by registrars nationwide — UC Davis, BYU, University of Kentucky, University of Missouri, Fresno State, San José State, Western Michigan, University of Alaska, and more.
