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Northern Virginia Community College: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) asks for an English translation with foreign documents in two places: a foreign secondary leaving certificate used for financial aid, and F-1 application documents. Its pages do not say who must make the translation, and a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary is that kind of translation. For transfer credit NOVA accepts no translations at all: only a course-by-course evaluation sent directly by WES, IERF, ECE or FCSA, which we do not provide.
Four evaluators only
WES, IERF, ECE or FCSA for transfer credit.
One evaluation
Only one evaluation per academic career at NOVA.
Translation for aid
Foreign leaving certificate plus English translation.
NOVA requirements at a glance
| What NOVA asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | Financial aid: a foreign secondary leaving certificate must be in English or come with an English translation provided with the original (Form 125-397). F-1: the application says documents must be translated into English (source). |
| Who may translate | Not stated on any NOVA page read (source). |
| Transfer credit | No translations: a course-by-course evaluation sent directly by WES, IERF, ECE or FCSA. Do not send NOVA the original foreign transcript (source, catalog). |
| F-1 high school proof | A certified copy of the secondary diploma or certificate equivalent to a US high school diploma, or proof of college attendance, uploaded with the online application (source). |
| General admission | High school transcripts are generally not required; they help with advising and placement (catalog). |
| Health programs | An international high school evaluation is needed for Clinical Data Coding, Dental Assisting, Medical Laboratory Assisting, Phlebotomy and Nursing (source). |
| Timing | About eight to twelve weeks after the College Records Office receives the evaluation (source). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Its financial aid form asks for an English translation with the original and does not restrict who makes it (Form 125-397); a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary is that kind of translation. For transfer credit, NOVA takes only an evaluation from one of four named services (College Records Office). Policy checked on October 12, 2026. |
Checked on October 12, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on NOVA's own page before you submit.
Residents and financial aid: the translation stays with the original
For general admission NOVA does not usually ask for high school transcripts (catalog). Financial aid is different. To verify high school completion with a foreign credential, Form 125-397 asks for a secondary school leaving certificate or similar document issued by the government or Ministry of Education, written in English or with an English translation provided together with the original. The Financial Aid Office tells you if an evaluation is also needed.
The same form lets refugees, asylees and victims of human trafficking who cannot obtain their documents certify completion themselves. If you do have the certificate, submit it with the translation; the translation should reproduce the issuing ministry, the certificate title and every stamp, since those are what show it is a government-issued leaving certificate.
Transfer credit: four evaluators, one chance
NOVA's College Records Office accepts international transcript evaluations only directly from World Education Services, the International Education Research Foundation, Educational Credential Evaluators or Foreign Credentials Service of America (plus AACRAO evaluations dated before August 2016 and, case by case, NACES evaluations done before August 2014). The catalog adds that the original transcripts go to the evaluator, not to NOVA, and that the report is course-by-course.
Three conditions make the choice of report important. You must already be enrolled in at least one credit class and placed in a program before NOVA evaluates anything; you request it on Form 125-049E; and you may submit only one evaluation during your academic career at NOVA (source). At most 45 transferred credits apply to the degree plan, and credit for ENG 111 or higher waits for NOVA's English placement (source). If the evaluator asks for a translation, it sets the rules; see translation for WES.
Where NOVA's pages differ
The College Records Office page and the catalog accept WES, IERF, ECE and FCSA for foreign transcripts, while the Health Sciences page says NOVA accepts IERF for high school and college evaluations and WES for college only. The processing time also differs: about eight to twelve weeks on the College Records Office page, about four to twelve weeks to post credit in the catalog. We have not resolved either difference; if you are applying to a health program, ask the Health Sciences division which evaluator it will take before ordering.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Secondary school leaving certificate from the Ministry of Education, for financial aid
- Secondary school diploma or certificate, if the certified copy for the F-1 application is not in English
- Documents for dependents in the F-1 application, which NOVA says must be in English
- Bank statements, which the F-1 application asks for in English or translated
- University transcripts, if WES, IERF, ECE or FCSA asks you for a translation
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- Grades exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
Uploading the translation to NOVA
F-1 applicants upload their documents at the end of the NOVA online application, identified as an F-1 applicant, for the Office of International Students (source).
For financial aid, the foreign certificate and its English translation go to the Financial Aid Office with Form 125-397. For transfer credit, the evaluator sends its report straight to NOVA after you file Form 125-049E; questions go to askthecro@nvcc.edu (source).
What we do not do
eVerbary is a translation service, not a credential evaluation service: we do not issue evaluations, US equivalencies or GPA conversions, and we cannot send documents on behalf of the school that issued them. For NOVA that means we translate the leaving certificate for financial aid and the F-1 documents; the course-by-course evaluation for transfer credit comes only from WES, IERF, ECE or FCSA.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and upload it with the copy of the original wherever the institution asks for it.
Sources
Northern Virginia Community College's own pages, read on October 12, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors (IIE), community colleges hosting the most international students in 2023/24: number 9, with 1,216 students.
- International (F-1) application
- Form 125-397: high school completion for financial aid (PDF)
- Catalog: admission information
- College Records Office: transfer credit evaluation
- Catalog: credit from postsecondary institutions
- Health Sciences: transcript evaluation
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit a translated foreign transcript to NOVA for transfer credit?
No. NOVA accepts only course-by-course evaluations sent directly by WES, IERF, ECE or FCSA, and asks students not to send the original transcript (source).
Can I submit a second evaluation later?
No. NOVA allows only one evaluation during your academic career, so order the right report the first time (source).
How do I prove high school completion for financial aid with a foreign diploma?
Submit the secondary leaving certificate from the Ministry of Education or equivalent, in English or with an English translation provided with the original; the Financial Aid Office will say if an evaluation is also needed (source).
What high school document do F-1 applicants send to NOVA?
A certified copy of the secondary diploma or certificate equivalent to a US high school diploma, or proof of college study, uploaded with the online application (source).
Do I need my foreign high school evaluated to apply to NOVA nursing?
Yes. Nursing, Dental Assisting, Phlebotomy, Medical Laboratory Assisting and Clinical Data Coding require an international high school evaluation; the Health Sciences page names IERF (source).
Will eVerbary convert my grades to a US GPA?
No. The translation reproduces the grades and the grading scale exactly as they appear. A GPA conversion is credential evaluation, which the institution or an evaluation agency does.
Translating documents for NOVA?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.