9

I'm in the process of applying to an M.S. Counseling program. While ordering transcripts, I've run into a problem. 10+ years ago, I started an MBA, but only attended the first semester. However, my career dragged me out of state, so I withdrew after completing that one semester. Since then, there's been a disagreement between me and that school over a related government loan.

Long story short - the school won't give me a transcript for that one semester of classes, UNLESS I come up with $6000 - immediately. No payment program options at all. I don't have $6000 just lying around - but I have to finish this grad school app right away.

So what are my options? I guess I could try to explain that old situation to the Admissions Department about the loan dispute. But I don't know where that would leave me.

What about the possibly dubious option of just leaving out any mention of that one semester of an MBA program on my application? Yes, its a bit unethical, but I'm not sure I have other options. My GPA that one semester was fine, so it wouldn't affect my overall GPA negatively. Could/would this new school find out that I didn't report that missing semester of school because I couldn't get the transcript? How is this sort of information shared amongst universities, if it is? I have a guess about which way to go, but what do you folks think?

Bryan Krause
  • 114,149
  • 27
  • 331
  • 420
spaceboy3000
  • 99
  • 2
  • 1
    What country? . – Azor Ahai -him- Oct 12 '21 at 19:18
  • 4
    I'm confused, because in the US, universities have little to do with "disputing loans." They have a bill you didn't pay (it sounds like) and if you have a problem with the loan that's between you and the loaning agency. – Azor Ahai -him- Oct 12 '21 at 19:22
  • Yes - it seems weird to me. The loan was from the government, but when I withdrew from classes, that apparently violated some terms, SO the government "took the $$ back" from the University, so now I owe the university directly. And they aren't being accommodating whatsoever. It's not how I thought this worked..... – spaceboy3000 Oct 12 '21 at 19:45
  • 2
    @AzorAhai-him- Believe the way it works is: 1) loan comes with a stipulation the coursework the government is subsidizing (via the loan) must be completed. Govt doesn't want to pay for no one to take a course. Student drops out, govt gets their money back. 2) School's policies are that all tuition is due past a certain point in the course, or partial refund. So now the student owes the school. It's important to know the financial aid consequences of dropping out. So, OP, is that what happened? You completed a first semester and started a second one, but dropped out some time in the middle? – Bryan Krause Oct 12 '21 at 20:16
  • @Bryan I don't know of loans that require you to finish the degree, but there's a lot I don't know. Either way, that's not a "loan dispute," it might be a "tuition dispute" if OP thinks they dropped before a deadline. I'm not trying to be pedantic, OP, I just don't know what you mean. – Azor Ahai -him- Oct 12 '21 at 21:01
  • 6
    But, telling a new university you won't pay your old one $6,000 you owe them probably won't impress them... – Azor Ahai -him- Oct 12 '21 at 21:02
  • OP, when you say there's no payment options, do you mean there's none offered, or you asked? I'm sure they'd rather work with you than send it to collections. – Azor Ahai -him- Oct 12 '21 at 21:03
  • @AzorAhai-him- Not the degree, but rather the semester. – Bryan Krause Oct 12 '21 at 21:08
  • @BryanKrause Well, OP did say "after completing that one semester." – Azor Ahai -him- Oct 12 '21 at 21:17
  • @AzorAhai-him- Yeah, hence the question at the end of my comment for OP to clarify. – Bryan Krause Oct 12 '21 at 21:21
  • 1
    Are you disputing you owing the university $6000, or is it that you acknowledge you owe them but you don't have the money to pay them? If the latter, you could borrow the $6k. – Allure Oct 13 '21 at 00:42
  • Thanks for the input!.... – spaceboy3000 Oct 13 '21 at 15:27
  • Yes, that other commenter was exactly right on how a gov education loan got "recalled" back thru the Univ. And the U isn't offering ANYTHING in the way of payment plans,etc. And YES - I completed one semester, then withdrew shortly after the start of the next one. – spaceboy3000 Oct 13 '21 at 15:29
  • 3
    So here's where I'm at - I called the "new" school and sniffed around (anonymously) about the situation. Just keeping this semester off my application doesn't seem like a wise choice. So I called the Admissions Head and explained the situation. He was quite accommodating. He is going to look into the possibility of accepting an "unofficial" transcript, and to see what other options there might be, like delaying the deadline for getting that official transcript, which would at least buy me some time to come up with the $6k. We shall see. Thanks again for all the input! – spaceboy3000 Oct 13 '21 at 15:34
  • 1
    "And the U isn't offering ANYTHING in the way of payment plans" Have you considered getting a personal loan from a bank, refinancing your house, or other ways to acquire loans outside the university? – nick012000 Oct 15 '21 at 08:51

1 Answers1

3

I ran into a similar issue myself. I cant give you a very valid way around it besides paying up. I found out about mine and it was on the cusp of 10 years. After the 10 year point they just wrote the loss off and since then my transcript was able to be released without payment. I would contact the current school, let them know of the issue. They may be able to request a copy on your behalf or just get confirmation that you did attend. You may also be allowed to get a non-transcript copy of your grades and maybe the new school will allow that as well. The best bet is to ask your new school for guidance on this. They may even just tell you not to worry about any of it and pass it over unless you need the credits or something. Good luck!

EjP
  • 46
  • 2