Our solicitor can verify, certify, apostille & legalise
All UK recognised degree-awarding universities or colleges
471
recognised UK
institutions
About the Author
KH is a practising solicitor based in London, admitted in England & Wales and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. He is registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. KH has worked as legal counsel and in-house solicitor across leading firms and corporations. He personally oversees every case at Ginkgo Advisory, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and end-to-end quality control.
KH Lam, LLB, LLM
Legal Consultant of Ginkgo Advisory
Ginkgo Advisory provides New College of the Humanities degree verification and apostille services for graduates who need to use their academic documents overseas.
Our solicitor-led service can include:
- HEDD degree verification;
- solicitor verification;
- enhanced solicitor certification;
- authenticity confirmation;
- certified true copies;
- FCDO apostille;
- a 2-working-day express apostille option;
- embassy or consular legalisation; and
- international return delivery.
New College of the Humanities now operates as Northeastern University London.
Therefore, Northeastern University London verifies qualifications connected with the former New College of the Humanities name. Third-party enquiries must normally go through HEDD.
Quick answers
Who verifies a New College of the Humanities degree?
Northeastern University London verifies New College of the Humanities qualifications.
HEDD lists New College of the Humanities as a constituent college whose qualifications Northeastern University London verifies.
Can I verify the degree through HEDD?
Yes.
Northeastern University London is an exclusive HEDD partner. Therefore, third-party enquirers must submit the degree check through the HEDD platform.
Can the degree receive an FCDO apostille?
Yes.
In most cases, our solicitor can certify a suitable copy before submitting it for an FCDO apostille.
How quickly can Ginkgo Advisory obtain the apostille?
We offer a 2-working-day express FCDO apostille option for eligible documents.
However, the two-working-day period starts after we complete the necessary verification and solicitor certification.
Do I also need embassy legalisation?
You may need embassy or consular legalisation if the destination does not accept an apostille as the final step.
Therefore, we check the receiving authority’s requirements before preparing the document.
New College of the Humanities and Northeastern University London
New College of the Humanities was the former name used by the London institution.
Today, the institution operates as Northeastern University London and offers recognised undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.
As a result, an older certificate may show New College of the Humanities, while a current verification result refers to Northeastern University London.
This difference is normal.
However, an overseas employer or authority may not understand the name change. Therefore, a HEDD result can help connect the historic certificate with the current verifying institution.
HEDD degree verification
HEDD stands for Higher Education Degree Datacheck.
It allows an authorised third party to check a candidate’s academic information against the university record.
A HEDD check can confirm:
- whether the candidate is a current or former student;
- the qualification awarded;
- the grade or classification; and
- the dates of attendance.
Therefore, HEDD does more than inspect a scan of the certificate.
Instead, it checks the information against the academic record held by Northeastern University London.
Who can submit a HEDD enquiry?
HEDD serves third-party enquirers.
These may include:
- employers;
- recruitment companies;
- screening agencies;
- solicitors;
- professional regulators;
- universities;
- government bodies; and
- document legalisation providers.
A graduate cannot normally use the third-party service to issue an official verification result to themselves.
Instead, the graduate must authorise a third party.
Ginkgo Advisory can arrange the enquiry as part of the wider certification and legalisation service.
Special HEDD consent requirements
Northeastern University London only accepts the official HEDD consent form.
Therefore, applicants should not use a general consent letter or another university’s template.
Both handwritten and digital signatures are permitted. The signed form must then be uploaded as a:
- PDF;
- JPG;
- PNG; or
- TIF file.
The consent should match the candidate’s personal and academic information.
Before submission, we check:
- the candidate’s full name;
- the signature;
- the date;
- the institution;
- the qualification details; and
- the quality of the uploaded file.
This review reduces the risk of delay.
Information required for verification
A HEDD enquiry normally requires:
- the graduate’s full name;
- any former name used during study;
- date of birth;
- institution name;
- course title;
- qualification;
- graduation year;
- grade or classification;
- attendance dates;
- student number, if known;
- a clear scan of the certificate; and
- the signed HEDD consent form.
Small differences may prevent an immediate match.
For example, problems may arise because of:
- a missing middle name;
- a change of surname;
- an incorrect graduation year;
- a shortened course title;
- incomplete attendance dates; or
- confusion between the former and current institution names.
Therefore, we use the certificate and transcript wording wherever possible.
HEDD enquiry fee
HEDD currently lists a £14 enquiry fee for New College of the Humanities verification.
However, HEDD may change its charges.
The HEDD fee does not include:
- Ginkgo Advisory’s service fee;
- solicitor certification;
- the FCDO apostille;
- embassy legalisation;
- translation; or
- delivery.
Degree verification and solicitor certification
They are different.
Degree verification
HEDD checks the academic record held by Northeastern University London.
Solicitor verification
Our solicitor reviews the degree certificate, the verification result and the graduate’s identification.
Solicitor certification
The solicitor places a formal certification statement on the document or copy.
FCDO apostille
The apostille authenticates the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal.
Therefore, each stage performs a separate role.
Enhanced solicitor certification
A basic certified true copy confirms that the copy matches the document shown to the solicitor.
However, it does not automatically confirm that the university issued the original certificate.
For stronger evidence, Ginkgo Advisory can provide enhanced solicitor certification.
The process may include:
- HEDD verification;
- review of the original degree certificate;
- comparison of the academic details;
- identity and name checks;
- authenticity confirmation; and
- solicitor certification.
Therefore, the certification can connect the document with an independent university record.
However, our solicitor will only confirm authenticity when reliable evidence supports that conclusion.
FCDO apostille
A New College of the Humanities degree certificate can usually receive an FCDO apostille after correct preparation.
Depending on the case, the apostille route may use:
- a solicitor-certified degree certificate;
- a certified transcript;
- an official university letter;
- a replacement certificate; or
- another eligible academic document.
The receiving authority may require a particular document.
Therefore, we check its instructions before our solicitor prepares the certification.
What does the apostille confirm?
An apostille does not verify the graduate’s academic record.
Instead, it authenticates the relevant UK public signature, seal or stamp.
For a solicitor-certified copy, the FCDO normally authenticates the solicitor’s signature.
As a result, a strong process may follow this order:
HEDD verification → authenticity review → solicitor certification → FCDO apostille
Each stage adds a different form of assurance.
Two-working-day express apostille
Ginkgo Advisory offers a 2-working-day express FCDO apostille option for suitable documents.
However, the express period only covers the FCDO stage.
It begins after:
- HEDD verification is complete;
- our solicitor approves the evidence;
- the certification is ready; and
- the document meets the FCDO requirements.
Therefore, the two-working-day period does not include:
- HEDD processing;
- university document production;
- solicitor evidence enquiries;
- embassy legalisation; or
- international delivery.
Embassy legalisation
Some destinations require embassy or consular legalisation after the UK authentication stage.
A typical route may involve:
- degree verification;
- solicitor certification;
- FCDO apostille or authentication;
- embassy legalisation; and
- further processing after arrival, where required.
However, each embassy sets its own rules.
For example, it may ask for:
- the original certificate;
- a solicitor-certified copy;
- HEDD verification;
- a transcript;
- a certified translation;
- a passport copy; or
- specific certification wording.
Therefore, we check the requirements before starting the process.
Our process
Step 1: Document review
First, we review the degree certificate and identify the correct institution and award.
Step 2: Candidate consent
Next, the graduate completes the official HEDD consent form.
Step 3: HEDD verification
We then submit the degree enquiry using the candidate’s exact academic details.
Step 4: Authenticity review
Our solicitor compares the HEDD result with the certificate and identification documents.
Step 5: Solicitor certification
Where the evidence matches, our solicitor prepares the correct certification.
Step 6: FCDO apostille
We submit the document for an apostille. An express 2-working-day option is available for eligible cases.
Step 7: Embassy legalisation
Where required, we arrange the additional embassy or consular stage.
Step 8: Return delivery
Finally, we provide a completion scan where requested and return the documents through the agreed delivery service.
Frequently asked questions
Is a New College of the Humanities degree still valid?
Yes.
Northeastern University London now verifies qualifications connected with New College of the Humanities.
Is New College of the Humanities now Northeastern University London?
The institution now operates as Northeastern University London.
Therefore, current degree programmes and verification records use the Northeastern University London name.
Can I verify the degree without HEDD?
Third-party verification must normally use HEDD because Northeastern University London is an exclusive HEDD partner.
Which consent form should I use?
You must use the official HEDD consent form.
Northeastern University London does not accept another consent template for this process.
Can I sign the consent form digitally?
Yes.
HEDD permits both handwritten and digital signatures for this institution.
What file formats does HEDD accept?
HEDD accepts PDF, JPG, PNG and TIF files.
How much does HEDD verification cost?
HEDD currently lists a £14 enquiry fee.
Is HEDD verification the same as solicitor certification?
No.
HEDD checks the university record. Meanwhile, solicitor certification formally certifies the document or copy.
Does an apostille verify the degree?
No.
The apostille authenticates the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal. It does not check the academic record.
Can Ginkgo Advisory arrange a 2-working-day apostille?
Yes, provided that the document is eligible and ready for FCDO submission.
Do I need embassy legalisation?
You may need it where the destination requires further embassy or consular processing.
Do I need to send the original certificate?
Possibly.
We can begin with a clear colour scan and then confirm whether our solicitor needs the original or another official document.
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