Academic references for employers

The University can provide academic references for both current and former students, through the Student and Alumni References Team.

 

PLEASE NOTE

There will be an adjustment in the pricing for our academic references, increasing from £10 to £14 per qualification per student/alumnus, effective 1 August 2024.

We understand that any price increase may present challenges, and we want to emphasise that this decision was made after careful consideration. The current pricing has remained unchanged since its introduction in 2017 and following a review we have aligned our pricing structure with other institutions. This adjustment is necessary to ensure that we can uphold the quality of our services for you.

All orders placed before 1 August will be honoured at the existing price, so we encourage you to place your orders early to benefit from this.

We sincerely appreciate your continued support and understanding during this transition. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at references@contacts.bham.ac.uk.


Requesting a reference

Commercial organisations

Requests for academic references from commercial organisations (including private companies and referencing agencies) are priced at £10 per student / alumnus whose information you would like to verify. This charge is applicable whether or not we are able to confirm a student’s attendance.

When requesting a reference, you will need to make a payment and provide information about your request through our Online Shop, following the instructions on the webpage to submit your request.

Once we have received your order and signed consent from the student / alumnus whose information you would like to verify, the Student and Alumni References Team will aim to process your request in 7 working days.

Please be aware that references for students who graduated before 1997, or reference requests submitted during peak times in the academic calendar, may take a little longer for us to process.

Non-commercial organisations

Requests from non-commercial organisations (such as other institutions, local authorities, embassies or other government bodies) will not incur a charge. Please email your request to references@contacts.bham.ac.uk, ensuring that you include signed consent from your applicant, and it will be processed. The Student and Alumni References Team will aim to process non-commercial reference requests within 14 working days.

What is included in an academic reference?

We can provide a reference to confirm:

  • Dates of attendance
  • Course(s) of study
  • Result(s) obtained
  • Graduation date(s) (if applicable)

We cannot provide verification of marks or comment on the student’s academic ability or character, although staff from the student’s school or department may be able to assist with requests such as this.

Data protection

Please be aware that in most cases, we will require signed authorisation from your candidate before we release any information. Please ensure that you include their signed authorisation with your reference request.

Contact us

Please note: We are unable to provide references over the phone and can only provide help and advice on how to request a reference.