̽»¨Â¥’s 2020 Stranded Credits Report shined a light on administrative holds on student's records for unpaid balances as low as $25. These holds prevent students from accessing official transcripts or re-enrolling at other institutions. There is a human cost, an inequitable one at that, to this practice that prevents students from attaining their educational goals and, in theory, earning the salary needed to repay their debt.
̽»¨Â¥ continues its work to re-envision transfer and ensure transparent and equitable pathways to completion. In partnership with Lumina Foundation, we will host a Debt & Equity Convening exploring the impact of debt on students through the lens of equity. Led by Dr. Wendy Kilgore, Director of Research, ̽»¨Â¥, and Dr. Ken Sharp, ̽»¨Â¥ Consultant, this project will research and examine the impact of institutional hold practices.
Higher education institutions participating in this convening include:
University of Delaware
Georgia Military College
SUNY at Stony Brook
The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Montana State University - Billings
Metropolitan Community College
Lamar University
Morgan State University
Blackhawk Technical College
Texas Wesleyan University
Volunteer State Community College
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Wichita State University
Lincoln College
Augustana College
Researchers and participants are interested in gaining insight into unpaid debt, and other registration and official transcript hold practices on students. Unforeseen outcomes may include:
Premature exit from the institution
Impediment to future enrollment
Restriction of transfer opportunities
In general, this research aims to understand better the impact of debt on students as examined through the lens of equity.
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