Bill would ban fees for some transcripts

A proposed state law would prevent Georgia colleges from using a student owing money to the school as a reason to withhold a student’s transcript should they need it for a job.

House Bill 39, filed Monday and sponsored by three Republican and two Democratic lawmakers, seeks to remove barriers for job-seekers who are sometimes thwarted by their school’s transcript policies. Georgia’s proposal would allow those with debt to access unofficial transcripts, but official transcripts would be provided for employment purposes only.

Schools often require students or former students to pay off debts before releasing academic records that some employers demand before hiring or promoting workers, a practice derided by critics as “transcript ransom.”

The bill’s main sponsor, Rep. Marvin Lim, D-norcross, says that creates a chicken-or-the-egg conundrum for those who can’t access their transcripts. They need a transcript to land a job, and they need the job to pay off what they owe to the school.

“We want to be able to get people employed,” he said. “We want people to pay off their debts, too.”

The bill would not forgive any student debt held by the school.

If it becomes law, Lim said it would impact Georgia’s public colleges, including two- and four-year schools, and potentially some private colleges that could be subject to such regulation.

Under the proposal, schools could still charge students for providing a transcript, but they couldn’t charge a higher fee because the requester owes money.

A spokeswoman for the University System of Georgia, which includes 26 public colleges, said it does not comment on pending legislation.