diff --git a/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/model/dto/Student.java b/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/model/dto/Student.java
index 902c8ac6..520760e6 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/model/dto/Student.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/model/dto/Student.java
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.time.LocalDate;
-import java.time.LocalDateTime;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public class Student implements Serializable {
     private String gender;
     private String citizenship;
     private LocalDate birthdate;
-    private LocalDateTime lastUpdateDate;
+    private Date lastUpdateDate;
     private Address address;
     private String grade;
     private String gradProgram;
@@ -101,11 +101,12 @@ public void setBirthdate(LocalDate value) {
         this.birthdate = value;
     }
 
-    public LocalDateTime getLastUpdateDate() {
+    @JsonFormat(pattern="yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss")
+    public Date getLastUpdateDate() {
         return lastUpdateDate;
     }
 
-    public void setLastUpdateDate(LocalDateTime lastUpdateDate) {
+    public void setLastUpdateDate(Date lastUpdateDate) {
         this.lastUpdateDate = lastUpdateDate;
     }
 
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/model/dto/StudentCredentialDistribution.java b/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/model/dto/StudentCredentialDistribution.java
index 7d779ecd..bfadf356 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/model/dto/StudentCredentialDistribution.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/model/dto/StudentCredentialDistribution.java
@@ -28,4 +28,8 @@ public class StudentCredentialDistribution {
 	private String program;
 	private String studentGrade;
 	private List<GradRequirement> nonGradReasons;
+
+	public LocalDateTime getLastUpdateDate() {
+		return lastUpdateDate == null ? LocalDateTime.now() : lastUpdateDate;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/process/MergeProcess.java b/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/process/MergeProcess.java
index d519af3b..d0840d17 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/process/MergeProcess.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/ca/bc/gov/educ/api/distribution/process/MergeProcess.java
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.sql.Date;
 import java.time.LocalDate;
+import java.time.ZoneId;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -218,7 +220,7 @@ private Student prepareStudentObj(StudentCredentialDistribution scd, List<Studen
 			std.setPen(pen);
 			std.setGrade(scd.getStudentGrade());
 			std.setGradProgram(scd.getProgram());
-			std.setLastUpdateDate(scd.getLastUpdateDate());
+			std.setLastUpdateDate(Date.from(scd.getLastUpdateDate().atZone(ZoneId.systemDefault()).toInstant()));
 			std.setGraduationData(new GraduationData());
 			std.setNonGradReasons(getNonGradReasons(scd.getNonGradReasons()));