Help with getting an undergrad transcipt - Trinity withholding due to postgrad fees

Sineadbcoyle

Hi,

A friend of mine is having terrible trouble getting her undergrad transcipt from Trinity. They say they are withholding it because she is late paying fees on her postgrad. Is this allowed? I would have thought that once you've paid your fees for your undergrad, you'd be allowed get your transcipt.

Has anyone been through this with Trinity or any other college before?

NormalBob Ubiquitypants

I think an email to the Dean of the department might help. It doesn't make sense to withhold the undergraduate degree when the person has already graduated. Dictatorship from the desk me thinks.

Sineadbcoyle

Thanks, I'll ask her to try that. Maybe CC some other people as well to make them embarrassed enough to give it to her?

andrew

Sineadbcoyle wrote: »

Thanks, I'll ask her to try that. Maybe CC some other people as well to make them embarrassed enough to give it to her?

cc-ing people is more likely to get their backs up than make them embarassed, so I'd suggest not doing that.

The best solution is just to go ahead and pay the fees or, if she's unable to do so, arrange something with college which reflects that (if that's even possible). If they're entitled to withold information when you've a library fine (and they are), then I imagine they're entiteld to do so when you've late fees.

Sineadbcoyle

andrew wrote: »

The best solution is just to go ahead and pay the fees or, if she's unable to do so, arrange something with college which reflects that (if that's even possible). If they're entitled to withold information when you've a library fine (and they are), then I imagine they're entiteld to do so when you've late fees.

If she had incurred library fees during her undergrad, that's one thing. The fact is she could have gotten her transcript straight after graduating her undergrad if she'd never done the postgrad, so that is why I don't understand why they're withholding it.

andrew

Sineadbcoyle wrote: »

If she had incurred library fees during her undergrad, that's one thing. The fact is she could have gotten her transcript straight after graduating her undergrad if she'd never done the postgrad, so that is why I don't understand why they're withholding it.

At the time she graduated she didn't owe college money, but now she does. They don't care why your friend owes them money (and why would they?); so long as he/she owes them, they'll do whatever the're entited to do to get what they're owed.

Sineadbcoyle

andrew wrote: »

At the time she graduated she didn't owe college money, but now she does. They don't care why your friend owes them money (and why would they?); so long as he/she owes them, they'll do whatever the're entited to do to get what they're owed.

Fair point about them not caring - I just feel like they somehow shouldn't be able to withhold it, call me an idealist! It's her undergrad! She paid thousands to get it!

NormalBob Ubiquitypants

I don't see how the undergrad and postgrad are related either tbh.
She applied for and graduated from one programme, which the college recognised by awarding a degree.
She applied for another programme through a separate application process with differing conditions attached to it- such as she paid her own fees (or not).

If they want to collect the money they should go after her for that but not by withholding the undergraduate degree. That's nasty and wrong.

Sineadbcoyle

NormalBob Ubiquitypants wrote: »

I don't see how the undergrad and postgrad are related either tbh.
She applied for and graduated from one programme, which the college recognised by awarding a degree.
She applied for another programme through a separate application process with differing conditions attached to it- such as she paid her own fees (or not).

If they want to collect the money they should go after her for that but not by withholding the undergraduate degree. That's nasty and wrong.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. She's asked the SU for help anyway, and I've told her to email the department head.

Jasnah

While I can understand the College's approach, it has no basis since the fees are related to a completely different degree. If they continue causing hassle, I'd look up the College Calendar for the exact wording that they're using to justify their actions.