Ivy Tech Community College announced earlier this month that transcripts will be available for all students, regardless of whether or not they owe the college money.
Nearly all (98 percent) of the 410 respondents to a 2016 survey from the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) indicated their higher education institutions hold transcripts as a debt collection tactic. Nationally, according to the study, Solving Stranded Credits: Assessing the Scope and Effects of Transcript Withholding on Students, States, and Institutions, approximately 6.6 million students have “stranded credits,” or academic credits they earned but cannot access due to unpaid balances.
According to a survey from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), public institutions that enroll higher percentages of Pell-eligible students are more likely to withhold transcripts for an outstanding balance.
According to a news release from Ivy Tech, school officials believe the practice of withholding transcripts makes it difficult for students to transfer and continue their education.
Officials say this new policy does not forgive debt, but it does provide a way forward for students to continue their academic pursuits, which in turn sets them up for greater financial prosperity. Records indicate the policy positively impacts as many as 82,000 students statewide.
