Major dilemma, need advice!

Graduate School
1

<p>I am soliciting advice from anyone who has had a similar experience as the one I am about to describe below on what to do or who may be able to provide me with any steps I could take to rectify a problem that could have a huge impact on my applications for doctoral school.</p>

<p>I recently finished a Masters program in history at a school in the midwest. I knew that I wanted to pursue doctoral study, and decided that it was best for me to take the thesis-track. I spent a year researching and writing my thesis. During this time, I had to sign up for the thesis credit course during each semester that the work on my thesis was ongoing. Each section of the thesis course is 3 hrs. When I first signed up for the course, I was informed by the Office of Financial Aid that in order to get the full federal funding necessary to pay for my education I would have to sign up for 4 credit hrs. I thought the rule was a tad unfair considering that at the thesis level of the program, all a student has left is the actual thesis course to take. Nevertheless, I knew I needed to receive the funding. I discusssed the situation with the Graduate Coordinator in history and the chair of my thesis committee. Together, we decided to add a 1-hour directed study course, which required additional work to be completed. I did this for two semesters (Winter 2008 and Fall 2008) and received FULL FUNDING. I finished my thesis in December of 2008, and had long finished all the course requirements for the MA degree in History. </p>

<p>Well, during the Winter 2009 semester, I was advised by a faculty member in African-American studies to take an additional three hour course in African-American studies that would extend my breadth of knowledge of a particular historical period, and, subsequently, would strengthen my application to various doctoral programs in history. I did not think that taking this was necessary. Beyond that line of reasoning, I also knew that I could not afford to pay for the course, and explained that to the professor. Furthermore, I informed the professor--as had been explained to me in previous semesters by a financial aid representative at the University--that taking ONLY 3 hrs at the graduate level would not allow for me to get funding, and that funding is only awarded to students taking four or more hours at the graduate level. Once more, I was given a 1-hour directed study course. I received FULL FUNDING from the University at the beginning of the semester. Toward the end of the semester, the Office of Financial Aid informed me that I did not take enough credit hours and that I was now responsible for paying over $4400 back to the University. Apparently, the school sent most of the funds back to the federal government, and told me that I was suppose to take 6 hrs in order to get funding. I explained to the school that this could not be the case, and that I had been instructed to take 4 hrs in order to insure that I got full funding for my education and living expenses. Moreover, I pointed to the fact that I had taken ONLY 4 hrs in the previous two semesters and received federal funding. I was then told that it was a "clerical" error on the school's part and that they had erroneously failed to notify me in the previous two semesters that the in order to receive full funding, I needed 6 hrs as opposed to 4. I was then informed that there was not anything that they could do despite the error on their part, and that I would have to pay the $4400 + debt off in full in order to receive both my diploma and official transcript.</p>

<p>Here's where the real dilemma starts for me. I have been unemployed since losing my job due to Hurricane Katrinaa. I have been unable to locate employment in Michigan where the current economic recession has arguably been the most devastating. Nevertheless, I continue to search for employment. I attempted to take out a loan to pay off the debt so that I would be able to have access to my official transcript. Unfortunately, I have neither been able to secure a loan from a bank nor a credit union. So, now I am in a position where the school's error is about to lead to me being placed into collections, and all for a class I DID NOT NEED TO TAKE SINCE MY PROGRAM HAD BEEN COMPLETED. But that's not even my biggest issue. </p>

<p>My BIGGEST ISSUE is the fact that I won't have access to my official transcript, which I am thinking will make it nearly impossible for me to be able to apply to graduate Ph.D. programs. I do have access to my unofficial transcript, which can be printed from the school's online website. And I also have the official letter from the University stating that I have completed the MA program in History. However, I do not know if any school will accept an unofficial transcript. Am I right to assume that sending unofficial transcripts with letters from my professors explaining the problem will still not be satisfactory? If that is the case, is there anything anyone knows that I might be able to do in order to rectify this problem? Otherwise, my dreams of getting my Ph.D. might be placed on serious hold. And at 31, I do not know if I can put off doctoral study any further. Of course, I thought about relying upon my undergraduate record alone. The problem is my undergraduate background is in sociology, not history. Furthermore, I have had a more distinguished record in graduate school (3.92 gpa) than I had at the undergraduate level (2.6 gpa) when I worked full-time and took care alone of my disabled mother. I did take several courses in German and French at Tulane University after I graduated from my undergrad college. I did this as preparation for language requirements, and did very well (3.6 gpa). But I do not think my record in those courses will be enough to offset my undergraduate record without the inclusion of my performance at the graduate level in history.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any advice? I know this is not the typical question/problem asked/presented on CC. However, I am hoping that someone might be able to offer a perspective that could be of assistance to me. I am afraid that after working so hard to put myself into a position where I could apply to the top programs, I will be held back because of a debt that right now I honestly cannot begin to afford to pay. I believe I have a decent GRE score: 750 verbal, 620 quant, 6.0 AW. I think that my graduate record and 225-page thesis speak for themselves. Yet I do not have access to an official transcript. Such bitter irony!</p>

2

<p>Ask an attorney if you can do anything about this legally, with regards to estoppel possibly.
Otherwise I can only think that you will have to find some kind of job somewhere and work to pay it back. :frowning: Good luck!</p>

3

<p>You might also want to go to your department head to explain the situation – without blaming the other professor, of course, but making it clear that the course was “strongly encouraged.” Since you’ve passed the masters requirements, they might be able to hire you as a two-course adjunct for a semester. That would take care of your school debt only, without providing any living expenses. (Schools pay between $2000 and $3500 a course for adjuncts.) Your priority right now should be paying off that debt ASAP.</p>

<p>I can understand their not granting you your degree until you pay off the debt, but I cannot understand their blocking access to your transcripts. See if you can find a way to negotiate this. I had a similar problem with one of my degrees being held, although it was a communication problem between three administrative departments, and not actual debt. My degree was eventually granted after my program head and the administrative assistant made several phone calls. But I had to wait until the next graduation cycle six months later. I’m not sure I could have done it without the backing and persistence of my department. You need to enlist their help, if possible.</p>

<p>What are you doing to support yourself now?</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the responses. I will consider the advice that you each have given.</p>

<p>Momwaitingfornew, my wife is a tenured professor at a local college. The bulk of our resources now stem from her employment. My former position was a columnist for a newspaper in the South. After that ended, I continued to freelance and had success doing this due to a large list of publishing contacts. Unfortunately, given the current economic times in which we live, the freelance opportunities once available are no longer there to be had. </p>

<p>The department chair is aware of the situation and believes that the school is being somewhat unfair in its position on the transcript. He says it’s a quasi-form of debt peonage. He says that in order to gain access to my transcript, I need a job to payoff the debt. But in order to get a job to pay off the debt, I need to have my transcript to get a job. He has made attempts to get the University to change its policy in this matter with no success. Also, it is not as though I have not made any payments toward the debt. Unfortunately, the school says the payments are not enough and that the most they can stretch a debt payment program out to is 1 year, which means I would have to pay an average of $440 a month rather than the $100-150 that I am able to, at best, afford. My department chair believes that the school is also hurting for money in these bleak economic times, and, as a result, is choosing to be inflexible regarding this matter.</p>

5

<p>Many colleges and universities will not release transcripts if you owe them money. However, this is the first time I’ve heard that the transcript will not be released if requested for a JOB application. The other instances I know of were when the student wanted to apply for a transfer or to a further graduate program.</p>

<p>Go back to the university again, and ask why just exactly they don’t want you to get a job. Try the university Ombudsman and the Office of the President.</p>

6

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<p>Do you have the paperwork that said you had full funding? If so, this may go a long way toward helping your case. I think part of the problem may come from the federal definition of what constitutes a full-time masters student. I know that, at one university, I had students who signed up for full course loads and then did not show up for the second half of the semester. They did this, apparently, because they could get financial aid only for full-time student status, and they didn’t care if they failed one or two courses, as long as they got high enough grades in the others to keep themselves eligible as full-time students to get their degree through part-time study. (Go figure, right?)</p>

<p>It could be that a full-time masters is considered two courses per semester, which would work out to 6-8 credit hours a semester. If this is the case, it will be difficult to argue. Still, if you have paperwork saying that you will get full funding, then you should think like a lawyer and argue your case all the way to the top.</p>

7

<p>I am sorry this has happened. Your school made an error, because part-time for grad school is required for federal money, and the feds define part-time as at least six credits and less than nine credits. Your school should have caught this error, but you undoubtedly signed paperwork indicating that you knew these limitations as well, and that you assume responsibility for meeting all of the graduation requirements, which includes paying the bill. Schools state up front in the paperwork that they will withhold transcripts until all of your bills have been paid, because oversights like yours happen.</p>

<p>I don’t think you will have any success using Katrina as a mitigating argument for your predicament. Moving to Michigan, which has had employment problems for years, probably wasn’t the best choice. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but the quickest way to resolve your situation so that you can move ahead with your education plans is to pay off your college debt, even if that means moving somewhere for a job, relying on shared housing and public transport, etc. Your school will come up with your signature on paperwork that places the responsibility for this predicament firmly in your lap, so you just have to earn the $4400 and learn from the experience. I’m really am sorry this has happened.</p>

<p>Edited to add that a PhD program will want this issue resolved and won’t have much interest in unofficial transcripts. Institutions empathize more with each other as service providers than with student customers.</p>

8

<p>Again, thanks to everyone for your responses.</p>

<p>dntw8up, your post sort of sums up my worst case scenario thoughts on the matter. I knew that there was not anything I could do to prevent having to pay the school given that the school could argue that I was just as guilty of making an error as they were in failing to inform me that taking less than 6 hours was not enough to receive full funding. That said, the only paperwork that I ever signed was the master promissory note. Other than that, there was neither any other paperwork presented to me nor was there any disclosures that would have indicated to me the limitations of funding based upon hours taken. Keep in mind that when I initially signed up for 3 hours during the Winter 2008 semester, it was the Office of Financial Aid who came to me and said that I needed a fourth hour in order to receive funding. And when I added that fourth hour, they gave me full funding. They basically made it seem as though the fourth hour was critical to full funding. I think part of the main reason I feel that there is nothing I can do to avoid repayment is because the school has said even though they made an error, it is still a Federal Law. </p>

<p>My only gripe is about the release of the transcript and attempting to find other ways to combat that issue. Obviously, I intend to repay the school, and have shown a good faith effort by starting to do just that despite not having employment at the time. The issue for me is that the school made an error but are refusing to show any professional courtesy in this matter. To me, the school should be benevolent enough to say that we will be willing to give you, just say, a release of your official transcript once you have paid at least a half or a quarter of the debt since the debt was incurred due to their error. Instead, they are choosing to be intransigent on the matter as if I was the lone reason the problem occurred. Finally, just as a side note, I was not making any excuses as it relates to Hurricane Katrina. I was just pointing out that I have been out of “steady” work since that time.</p>