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Santa Barbara City College: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Santa Barbara City College asks international applicants for transcripts of all high school, university and English-language study translated into English by an official translator or translating agency, and its catalog applies an official-translation rule to every international transcript, including those of residents. Santa Barbara City College accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. For admission an uploaded copy of the transcript and its translation is enough; credit for foreign college work needs a separate AICE or NACES evaluation, which we do not provide.
Translating agency
An official translator or translating agency may translate.
Copies to apply
Unofficial uploads are enough for admission; officials for athletics and credit.
AICE or NACES
Only for credit for foreign college work, and only if a counselor advises it.
SBCC requirements at a glance
| What SBCC asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | Transcripts not in English need an English translation: "official" in the catalog (admissions, enrollment), by an official translator or translating agency on the international pages (source). |
| Who may translate | An official translator and/or translating agency (Steps to Apply). |
| What to send | Transcripts of all upper-secondary, university or college, and English language program study. Admission requires the equivalent of a 2.00 US GPA (source). |
| Copies or originals | Upload copies to the online application. Unofficial transcripts work for admission only; official ones are required for athletic eligibility and transfer credit (source). |
| Evaluation | None for admission. Credit for foreign coursework needs a report from an AICE or NACES member (source). |
| Residents and other visas | The catalog's enrollment rule, an official English translation for international transcripts, applies to all students; holders of visas other than F-1 or M-1 are reviewed for eligibility and residency by visa type (enrollment, admissions). |
| Timing | Fall: June 1 for new students, June 15 for F-1 transfers. Spring: November 15 and December 1. Summer: April 1. Complete applications are processed in 3 to 5 business days (source). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. SBCC's international Steps to Apply page says transcripts should be translated by "an official translator and/or translating agency" (Steps to Apply), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on SBCC's own page before you submit.
Admission runs on your translated copies
SBCC does not send international applicants to an evaluation agency to get in. You upload copies of your transcripts and their English translations to the online application, and that is enough for admission (source). The college checks that your record is equivalent to at least a 2.00 US GPA, and after admission it gives you that figure: the enrollment steps tell new students to look for their U.S. GPA in the "Register for Classes" email (source).
That makes the translation the document your GPA is read from. Every subject and every mark has to be there, with the grading scale as printed on the original, because SBCC, not an agency, is reading it. We translate the grades as they appear and do not convert them.
Placement in English and math is separate. After admission you fill out a High School Data form in the student portal, choosing the highest math level you completed and your last English grade (enrollment steps, sample form). No translation is uploaded at that step.
Credit for foreign college work: ask a counselor first
To have foreign university courses count toward an SBCC degree or certificate, you need an evaluation from a member of AICE or NACES, often a detailed course-by-course report with units, grades and lower or upper division, sent to Admissions & Records (source). Admissions & Records itself does not evaluate incoming transcripts for credit (source).
SBCC warns that comprehensive evaluations can be expensive and may not be needed, depending on your goals, and asks you to see a counselor first. Students coming for one or two semesters or a gap year can take classes without a counseling appointment; students transferring from an overseas institution email copies of their transcripts to the Academic Counseling Center to request a new transfer student appointment (source).
F-1 applicants and California residents
The F-1 route is the online international application, with uploads and a $75 fee; F-1 students cannot hold nursing, cosmetology, radiography or several other majors as their primary program, and SBCC cannot admit anyone who already holds a US degree (source).
Residents, immigrants and holders of other visas apply through the regular application. The catalog asks that official transcripts of high school and college work be on file for counseling, prerequisite review and degrees, and that international transcripts come with an official English translation (source). Official transcripts go to Admissions & Records, electronically through Parchment or by first-class mail, and are not returned (source).
Documents applicants usually translate
- High school (upper-secondary) transcripts for all years
- University or college transcripts, including incomplete studies
- English language program transcripts or certificates
- High school diploma, which applicants under 18 must send before registering
- Official bank letter, which must be written in or translated into English
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 SBCC
F-1 applicants upload copies of each transcript with its translation to the online international application; questions about the application go to intlapp@sbcc.edu (source). If you later need official transcripts for athletics or transfer credit, they go to Admissions & Records (incoming transcripts).
For credit, the AICE or NACES evaluation report goes to Admissions & Records (source); the agency sets its own rules for the translation it receives with your documents.
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 SBCC that means we translate your transcripts and diplomas; the AICE or NACES evaluation for transfer credit comes from the agency.
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
Santa Barbara City College's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors (IIE), community colleges hosting the most international students in 2023/24: number 26, with 411 students.
- Steps to Apply, full-time international students
- Steps to Enrollment, admitted international students
- Sample High School Data form for international students (PDF)
- International Transcript Evaluation (Transcript Evaluation Office)
- Incoming Transcripts (Admissions & Records)
- Catalog: Admissions
- Catalog: Enrollment
Frequently asked questions
Who can translate my transcripts for SBCC?
SBCC's international page asks for translation by an official translator and/or translating agency (source). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary qualifies.
Do I need official transcripts to be admitted?
No. Unofficial transcripts are enough for admission; official ones are required only for athletic eligibility and transfer credit (source).
Do I need a WES or other credential evaluation to apply?
Not to apply. An evaluation from an AICE or NACES member is needed only if you want credit for foreign coursework, and SBCC suggests asking a counselor whether it is worth it (source).
How does SBCC place me in English and math?
Through the High School Data form after admission, where you report your highest math level and last English grade (source).
I am a California resident with a foreign transcript. Does the translation rule apply to me?
Yes. The catalog says international transcripts must be submitted with an official translation in English (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 SBCC?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.