Whether you're transferring schools, applying for a scholarship, or need proof of your academic history for a job or visa application, Form 137 and Form 138 are the two DepEd documents you'll be asked for again and again. The process trips people up mainly because of one rule: it's usually not you who requests Form 137, it's your new school. This guide breaks down exactly how the request-and-transfer process works and what to do if your old school has closed or you're requesting on your own behalf.
This guide covers Form 137 vs. Form 138: What's the Difference and Step 1: Understand the Standard Transfer Rule, with the full details below.
- Form 137, now officially called School Form 10 (SF10), is a learner's permanent academic and co-curricular record covering their entire schooling history
- Form 138 is the Report Card, showing grades and performance for just one school year
- The standard rule is your NEW school requests Form 137 directly from your LAST school, not you personally requesting and carrying it yourself
- DepEd's Learner Information System (LIS) at lis.deped.gov.ph is used by schools and Division Offices to process and track these requests
- Public schools generally don't charge for standard Form 137/138 issuance to another DepEd school; private schools may charge document or courier fees
Form 137 vs. Form 138: What's the Difference
Form 137, officially redesignated as School Form 10 (SF10), is the learner's Permanent Record — it shows your complete academic and co-curricular history across your entire basic education, kept and updated by whichever school you're currently or most recently enrolled in. Form 138 is the Report Card, a much simpler document showing your grades for just one specific school year, usually given directly to the student or parent at the end of each grading period.
Step 1: Understand the Standard Transfer Rule
If you're transferring to a new school, the standard DepEd process is that your NEW (receiving) school formally requests your Form 137 directly from your LAST school of attendance — you generally don't request or personally carry the document yourself. This is meant to protect the integrity of the permanent record and prevent tampering. As the student or parent, your main job is to enroll at the new school and provide them your Learner Reference Number (LRN) and the name of your last school so they can initiate the transfer request.
Step 2: Provide Your LRN and Consent
Every DepEd learner has a unique Learner Reference Number (LRN) that ties all their records together across schools. Provide this to your new school's registrar. If the learner is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign the request/consent form; if the learner is 18 or older, they can sign for themselves.
Step 3: The Request Gets Logged Through the Learner Information System (LIS)
Your new school submits the request through DepEd's Learner Information System (LIS), which schools and Schools Division Offices (SDOs) use to log, track, and verify learner records nationwide. If you're requesting through an SDO directly rather than through school-to-school transfer, the SDO's School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) enters your details into LIS using either your LRN or the name of your last school attended.
Step 4: Wait for Processing and Claim Your Document
Processing time varies depending on whether the request is a straightforward school-to-school transfer or a more complex SDO-level request (for example, if you no longer remember which school or need records from several years back). If you filed through an SDO, you'll typically claim the released document directly at that same SDO office once notified it's ready.
Step 5: What to Do If Your Old School Has Closed
If your previous school has closed down, its student records are usually transferred to and archived by the Schools Division Office that had jurisdiction over that school. File your request directly with that SDO instead of the closed school, providing whatever details you remember (approximate years attended, LRN if known, or the name of the school) to help them locate your archived record.
Step 6: Requesting for Purposes Other Than School Transfer
If you need Form 137 or Form 138 for a scholarship application, employment, visa processing, or similar purposes rather than an actual school transfer, you can request certified true copies directly from your last school's registrar or the relevant SDO, explaining the purpose of your request. Some institutions will accept a certified true copy while the original permanent record stays with the school, which is standard practice since Form 137 as a permanent record generally isn't meant to be released as a single original copy to individual requesters.
Fees and Typical Costs
Public schools generally do not charge a fee for standard Form 137/138 issuance when transferring to another public DepEd school, consistent with the constitutional guarantee of free basic education. Private schools, on the other hand, often charge a reasonable document processing fee or courier cost, especially if records need to be mailed to a school in another region. Always confirm exact fees with the specific school or SDO handling your request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, no. The standard DepEd process requires the NEW (receiving) school to request Form 137 directly from your LAST school of attendance, rather than the student or parent personally requesting and carrying the physical document. This rule exists to protect the integrity and authenticity of the permanent academic record during transfers.
Your Learner Reference Number (LRN) is a unique identifier assigned to every DepEd learner that ties together all your academic records across every school you've attended. Providing your LRN to your new school or to an SDO significantly speeds up locating and processing your Form 137 or Form 138 request through the Learner Information System (LIS).
If your previous school has closed, its student records are typically archived by the Schools Division Office (SDO) that had jurisdiction over that school. You (or your new school) should file the request directly with that SDO instead, providing whatever identifying details you have, such as your LRN, approximate years of attendance, or the school's name.
Yes. Form 137 was officially redesignated as School Form 10, commonly abbreviated as SF10, under DepEd's revised school forms system. Both terms refer to the same document — the learner's Permanent Record covering their complete academic and co-curricular history. Local context matters here — what applies in other countries does not always translate directly to the Philippine setting.
Generally no, public DepEd schools do not charge a fee for standard issuance of Form 137 or Form 138 when transferring to another public school, in line with the policy of free basic education. Private schools, however, often charge a reasonable processing or courier fee, so check directly with the specific private institution involved.
Yes. You can request a certified true copy of your Form 137 or Form 138 directly from your last school's registrar or the relevant Schools Division Office for purposes like scholarship applications, employment, or visa processing, by explaining the purpose of your request. The original permanent record typically stays with the school, and you receive a certified copy instead.
Conclusion
Requesting Form 137 or Form 138 is mostly about knowing the right process — letting your new school handle the direct transfer request, keeping your LRN handy, and knowing where to go (the Schools Division Office) if your old school has closed. Start by giving your new school your LRN and last school attended, and the LIS-based transfer process will take care of the rest.
