ATLANTA — A Georgia legislator has written a bill to eliminate 'transcript ransom,' forcing colleges and universities to provide transcripts to graduates – even if the graduate owes money to the college.
Students enroll in Georgia colleges, leaving with tens of thousands in debt every single year. And, as of now, when students come up short in repayment, colleges and universities can withhold their transcripts as leverage.
"While I certainly understand the interest in encouraging and even incentivizing students and ultimately requiring students to pay off their debts, I don’t think their transcripts should be withheld for these specific purposes," said state Rep. Marvin Lim (D-Norcross), who wrote the bill against transcript ransom.
The bill prohibits colleges from withholding transcripts from indebted students or their potential employers, Lim said, in hopes of helping both graduates and employers.
"These students need employment in order to earn income in order to pay off their debt," Lim said. "But without, in many cases, their transcripts-- they’re unable to secure these jobs."
He added that the bill should clear obstacles for workplaces to hire qualified workers. And though Lim is a Democrat, the bill has more currently has more cosponsors from the House Republican majority than it does from other Democrats.