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Colleges Come Under Closer Scrutiny For Holding Transcripts Hostage Over Unpaid Bills The University of Massachusetts Amherst is seen in a file photo. One student who missed his final housing bill here offered to pay it, but after collection fees and other charges were added, he gave up. The university blocked him from obtaining his academic transcript. Kate Flock/The Hechinger Report Share James Smith missed his final housing payment to the University of Massachusetts Amherst when he spent a year there as an exchange student on his way to a degree from the University of Minnesota. Strappe...

Share this: Academic transcripts, which students need to get jobs, transfer or go on to graduate school, are almost universally withheld over unpaid bills, sometimes for very small amounts. A few colleges and universities are now changing that practice. Credit: Emily Kaplan for The Hechinger Report The Hechinger Report is a national nonprofit newsroom that reports on one topic: education. Sign up for our weekly newsletters to get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox. James Smith missed his final housing payment to the University of Massachusetts Amherst when he spent a year th...