The momentous day is upon you and as you reach for your diploma, a warm feeling of accomplishment and pride sweeps over you. Now as a real college graduate, you are set to embark on a journey into the real world. Armed with your diploma and years worth of higher education, the time has come to find a career that utilizes all the skills that you have learned.
After what seems like an eternity of waiting, a job finally presents itself with an offer you cannot refuse. This employer requires a college transcript, but one call to the registrar should fix that.
But wait, is your bill fully paid off? Or do you still owe over a thousand dollars in late payments? The registrar confirms these suspicions and the job is delayed. Now you are caught in a dilemma.
You need money to pay your bills, and you need this job to help pay those bills.
An Eastern alumnus, who wishes to remain anonymous, found himself in this very predicament. However, isn’t it common sense that one cannot receive his or her transcript without fulfilling these financial obligations?
Crystal Tracy of the registrar’s office believes that it is the students’ responsibility to follow through with payments.
“You paid to go to college so you could get the transcript,” Tracy said. “Once bills are paid for, we will be happy to send it wherever you want.”
In concordance with the registrar, student accounts also play a big role in regards to transcripts.
“Bills must be paid in full before a transcript can be sent out,” Carol Suter of student accounts said. “We will put a temporary hold on your account if your bill is not paid for.”
Suter admitted that there is a tolerance of a couple hundred dollars but urges students to take care of these issues before they become large problems.
Junior Andrew Grogan, an economics major, agrees with the school’s transcript policies but can understand how it may affect the job market.
“It makes sense, but I can see how it would slow down the process of getting a career after college,” Grogan said.
Weston Lynch, a first-year missions major, disagrees with the school’s current policy and believes they should reformat it.
“There should be a grace period after graduation so that the student has a chance to pay off their bill but still be eligible in the job market,” Lynch said.
Either way, students should be aware that paying off bills and loans is of the utmost importance and a responsibility that cannot be overlooked.