Withholding Diplomas and Official Transcripts from Students

Responsible Officer
Rachel Croson
Executive Vice President and Provost
Owner
Stacey Tidball
Associate Director Cmp/Col — Academic Support Resources
Primary Contact
See Contacts Section
Last Revised
Effective Date

Policy Statement

The University will not issue diplomas or official transcripts to students with financial obligations of $250 or more, or to students who have not satisfied student conduct or academic integrity sanctions.

Once a student satisfies the financial obligation or the outstanding sanction, the responsible office will remove the hold and the Office of the Registrar may issue the diploma and/or the official transcript.

Reason for Policy

The University expects students to meet any financial and/or student conduct and academic integrity obligations to the institution, both during their enrollment and upon graduation. Withholding the diploma and official transcript for not meeting these responsibilities is consistent with these expectations.

Procedures

There are no procedures associated with this policy.

Forms/Instructions

There are no forms associated with this policy.

Appendices

There are no appendices associated with this policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How is a student notified that the student will not be receiving a diploma or an official transcript due to these obligations?

    Students are informed of the holds on diplomas and official transcripts via MyU. Additionally, students are notified when placing transcript orders or requests for duplicate diplomas.

  2. Will a student's degree still be posted to the record if money is owed or a student conduct sanction is not met?

    Yes, the degree will be posted, but a diploma will not be issued.

  3. Can holds be temporarily removed or how do I get an exception to a hold?

    Contact the office responsible for placing the hold to see what the procedures are and whether the hold can be lifted, or whether an exception is possible. If you are unsure of what office is responsible, contact your campus One Stop or Office of the Registrar.

    For information on how to resolve past-due bills, visit the One Stop website and contact One Stop Student Services.

Contacts

Subject Contact Phone Email
Policy Information - Twin Cities Stacey Tidball 612-626-0075 [email protected]
Policy Information - Morris Marcus Muller 320-589-6011 [email protected]
Policy Information - Duluth Carla Boyd 218-726-8795 [email protected]
Policy Information - Crookston Jason Tangquist 218-281-8424 [email protected]
Policy Information - Rochester Diane Douglas 507-258-8008 [email protected]

Definitions

Financial Obligation
Students that owe a minimum of   to the University student account.
Student conduct and academic integrity sanction
A sanction imposed upon a student for violation of Board of Regents Policy: Student Conduct Code.

Responsibilities

Registrar
Notify faculty, staff and students of the policy of withholding diplomas and official transcripts.
College or department
Advise students of the policy on the policy of withholding diplomas and official transcripts.
Campus Collections Office
Determines if diploma can be issued based on satisfactory payment of financial obligations.
Office for Community Standards (OCS) - Twin Cities Campus
Determines if diploma or transcript can be issued based on satisfactory resolution of obligation.

Related Information

History

Amended:
October 2021 -

The current language has a dollar limit of $200 (first sentence in Statement). The Minnesota legislature has changed the limit to $250 and we are updating our processes accordingly. The statutory language is:

Subd. 2. Prohibited practices. A school must not: (1) refuse to provide a transcript for a current or former student because the student owes a debt to the school if: (i) the debt owed is less than $250.

Amended:
July 2019 - Comprehensive Review:
  1. Minor language changes for readability
  2. Update FAQ to reflect current system (MyU) and better address questions raised during consultation
  3. Retire outdated procedure
Amended:
December 2013 - Comprehensive Review, Minor Revision. Provides additional guidance to the students who have a hold on their record through a new FAQs.
Amended:
December 2009 -Changes withholding of "degrees" to withholding of "diplomas and official transcripts"; Improves satisfaction of student conduct or academic integrity sanctions by expanding the policy to address these types of obligations; Aligns with practices of our peer institutions.
Effective:
December 2004

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