Colleges Can't Withhold Transcripts To In-Debt Students Thanks To Bill

GLENVIEW, IL — College students who have tried in vain to secure transcripts they still owe money to will no longer run into that issue thanks to a new piece of legislation sponsored by a Glenview lawmaker.

State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) sponsored a bill that prohibits colleges and universities from withholding transcripts from students who owe the school money. Senate Bill 3032 was signed into law last week and goes into effect immediately, according to a news release.

Fine, a former college professor, said that the practice of universities withholding transcripts from students seeking employment makes it tougher for the students to find work.

She believes the bill will ease the transition between college and the work world for students.

Under the bill, employers will be able to request official transcripts of those students seeking employment. Fine’s legislation will also require colleges and universities to institute a hardship policy, which will help students who have to drop out of school due to an illness or significant financial burden the ability to re-enroll at a later date, the release said.

Senate Bill 3032 also ensures that debt collection agencies cannot use a past-due debt with a college or university against a student’s credit rating.

“Students often go into debt with the expectation that their degree will give them the opportunity to get a well-paying job, which will help them pay off their loans,” Fine said. “Withholding transcripts, a practice that disproportionately impacts low-income or minority populations, creates additional barriers to financial independence. This law will give a pathway for students to pursue a career with the degree they earned while working to repay their debts.”