<p>Sarahsmom42;
Nope, unfortuneately, they sent out letters stating if $25 per script was not rcvd. then students were not graduating!! This was not a perf. arts school, and not on the same pg.....seemed to gravitate towards the Ivy League schools. The school had performed award winning shows and ea. yr. more and more talent so I think they are starting to "get it" as far as the necessity to send out more than usual applications to arts degrees. (At least I hope so). Having said that, I don't think they will drop the fee as private schools seem to want more and more $$. P.S. We all spent so much during the last audition season didn't we?</p>
<p>The paying for high school trancripts is something I had not heard of until this thread. I could see requiring a student to provide the stamped envelopes. Surely the mailing does not cost what some of your schools are charging and so it appears they are charging for the "service." But I think their "service" is to provide this for students. Sending students onto college should be part of their mission. They shouldn't make fees another obstacle or hardship. I think it should be figured into the school budget. Perhaps if someone was applying to some huge amount of schools.....like over 14, I can see them making a point of requiring something for that extra work over and beyond what they are doing per student. But to charge for every transcript (which some of your schools are doing) or for every transcript over five or six (which is too few for those seeking either elite colleges, arts by audition colleges, or seeking merit aid) seems to be giving the wrong message and adding another hardship on top of the app fees and score fees, visits, and what not. I feel this way at least with public school. For private, you do pay for various services. As well, there is an underlying assumption that the students may have the means to pay the fees since they are paying tuition (unless on scholarship), whereas public school is for all regardless of ability to pay. My child is applying to graduate schools this year, and will have to have her college transcript sent. I imagine there will be fees involved but the college is private. I think sending college transcripts is another story.</p>
<p>Mainstage, I am one of the folks in shock from hearing that your school charged $25 for every transcript after number 6. Wow! Woo! That policy is obviously meant to discourage kids from applying to more than the traditional -- two safeties, two matches, two reaches -- number of colleges. And paying $25 <em>would</em> be discouraging. Was there any leeway in that policy for, say, kids applying to BFA programs in MT, in which competition is known to be so stiff that many kids apply for several more than six? And what about kids from less-than-affluent homes who may be attending that private school on financial aid or scholarships, whose parents don't just have another $200 to throw at the guidance counselor simply for taking a few minutes to print out a few more copies of the kids' transcripts? I do realize that GCs do a lot, lot more than just print out copies, but I think you all take my point. $25 seems excessive. I would be spitting mad if my D's school tried to get away with that.</p>
<p>FYI, federal law contemplates that fees may be charged but must be reasonable and not effectively prevent access to records. Based on an individual's circumstances, there could be situations in which a fee could be viewed as excessive.</p>
<p>Code of Federal Regulations: </p>
<p>Title 34. Education </p>
<p>Subtitle A. Office of the Secretary, Department of Education </p>
<p>Part 99. Family Educational Rights and Privacy (Refs & Annos) </p>
<p>Subpart B. What Are The Rights of Inspection and Review of Education Records?</p>
<p>§ 99.11 May an educational agency or institution charge a fee for copies of education records?</p>
<p>(a) Unless the imposition of a fee effectively prevents a parent or eligible student from exercising the right to inspect and review the student's education records, an educational agency or institution may charge a fee for a copy of an education record which is made for the parent or eligible student.</p>
<p>(b) An educational agency or institution may not charge a fee to search for or to retrieve the education records of a student.</p>
<p>Doesn't mean that some of what I'm reading here doesn't stink. When one considers how much parents spend on school taxes and/or private school tuition, asking for more than stamped addressed envelops is gouging, particularly given the educational mission of high schools.</p>
<p>As I said before, my school is a public school and charges $30 per transcript over 6 and our Guidance office does not even mail them. We as parents so that. There is no leeway for anyone or anything that is listed. At the parent meeting last night I brought the fees up and was told the $30 fee was charged because a student a few years back applied to 19 schools and took up two days of the Guidance Counselor's time. The GC said the money is used for Guidance summer hours. I don't think the people in our town are aware of this. In addition to high taxes, we are being charged additionally for summer hours. The GC also said last night that he attended an Articulation meeting and was told to encourage students to only apply to 3-5 schools because that shows they have visited enough campuses and have really done their "homework." I always thought the number of schools a student applied to was between that student and his/her parents. I don't think the guidance office should have anything to do with it unless their help is solicited. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Does the FERPA law apply to High Schools as well as colleges?</p>
<p>Llong....I could understand if they wanted to discourage a HUGE number of apps per student. That IS a lot more work and if every kid did it, would be crazy. However, that cap should be raised to about 12 which truly is the max that most students would ever need. If a student wants to send more, a fee could be charged. But charging for ALL fo the transcripts (as some have related is the case at their school) OR charging after the first five or six, seems outrageous to me. A cap before a charge kicks in would be reasonable if the cap was more like 10 or 12, not five or six.</p>
<p>llong39, isn't the GC a school employee, paid the same way that any other school employee is paid? My sister is a public school teacher and her salary is her salary, whether she puts in a gazillion hours in the summer planning her year or not. Her system doesn't give her extra money when she comes to school a month before the advent of school to fix up her room, get organized, etc. Of course, if she takes on extra stuff -- like teaching summer school -- she does get paid. But it seems to me that sending transcripts is part of the guidance/college counselor's regular duties.</p>
<p>Mainstage, </p>
<p>The cost of the audition process is pretty enormous when you start adding up application fees, air travel or gas, hotels, food, fees for transcripts, lessons and coaching, music, copies, clothing and dance attire, dance shoes etc. Unfortunately it can be cost prohibitive for some. The cost of the school also played a part for us. D applied to some very expensive schools, but would have only gone there if she would have gotten a large scholarship.</p>
<p>NotmamaRose:
The only thing I can think of is that they are contracted for so many days a year and the summer is not included. It should be included, and I am sure the voters in my town are unaware that this is going on. I have a little more research to do and then I will email the principal, superintendent, and School Board.
I agree that limit on applications needs to be in place, but 6 is too low. I don't even mind paying $5 per transcript, but it is the $30 after 6 that is ridiculous. Our GC said they can't provide transcripts for $1. It costs more for the paper it is printed on. The whole thing is a mess. And they don't even mail them for you. We pick them up when they are done and send them in ourselves. I really don't mind that because then I can control that aspect of the application process, but I am not happy about paying for the extra summer hours.</p>
<p>I think we're mixing up the summer hours thing with the task at hand. The sending of transcripts is usually not over the summer but rather in the fall. The sending of transcripts is part of their job or the secretaries' job and like NMR says, an employee is not going to be paid more or less depending on how many transcripts she/he has to send. Their salary will be the same. As a former teacher myself, in public schools, I put in COUNTLESS hours outside the school day....after school, evenings, weekends, and summer. My pay was the same whether I only worked during the school hours or not. My pay was the same whether I had 15 students in my class or 22. So, the transcripts are sent during the school year primarily and not in summer (many students' college lists are not solidified by June of junior year!). So, how many transcripts are sent doesn't change the GCs' hours or pay during the school year.</p>
<p>However, on the issue of required days for a school employee to come into school over the summer, they should be paid if those are contracted days of work beyond the school calendar contracted days. That is different than a teacher choosing to come into school to do some work (which I did lots of outside my contracted time....like NMR says, even in August to get my class ready). But required work days that are in a contract, should be paid. That is rather different than this transcript issue, in my opinion. </p>
<p>It does not cost them $30 to send the transcript in terms of cost of paper. It doesn't even cost them additional salary fees since the GC is going to work for the same salary no matter how many transcripts are sent. In your school, llong, they are not even mailing the packages! Again, if they want to charge for an unreasonable amount of apps, such as over 10 or 12, I can see that. But the amount you are being charged, let alone for over 6, is not reasonable.</p>
<p>llong, I am surprised that your school lets you handle the mailing of your child's transcript. Is it like that for most of you on cc? NC law will NOT allow transcripts to even be given to parents to mail. They have to be mailed directly from the school. </p>
<p>That $30 fee....$25 fee or whatever is just ridiculous! As someone who has taught in public high school, I truly have never heard of something like that at all. I mean is it really that much more work to print a few more copies out? If all the paperwork is organized and together, it shouldn't even require that much more time for the counselor at all. I can see private schools getting away with it though because they really do add fees to everything they can! Crazy!</p>
<p>Our Guidance office has always handed us the transcripts to mail. This is my fourth child to graduate. They are given in sealed envelopes with a sticker over the seam so it can't be opened.</p>
<p>FERPA applies to any h.s. and college that accepts federal money.</p>
<p>This whole issue with fees is both ridiculous and outrageous. My daughter went to a public h.s with about 650 kids in her graduating class, about 85-90% of which applied to colleges (and usually multiple ones). All we had to do was give her guidance counselor stamped addressed envelops. We did it for initial transcripts at time of application (which covered up through 11th grade and included school report issued by GC), mid-year report and final transcript post graduation. No fees charged. Think about it; how much effort does it take to have registrar's office print copies off the computer, stick them in envelops and put them in the mail. As to school reports, it can be done as one form filled out once and then put through a copy machine for each college and individually signed. Minimal time, minimal cost to the schools. The "clerical" time to get transcripts and reports out for a dozen schools is, what, 15 minutes? The only thing that takes time is completing the school report that usually has detailed guidance counselor comments but even that, once done, can be copied and used for each school. Sure there is a crush in the fall when much of this activity is going on but that's part of the planned work year and schedule.</p>
<p>That all being said, we got A LOT of mileage out of sending my daughter's GC a basket of cookies, fruit etc in the middle of the process. It is a frenzied pressured time for all involved in the process and the goodies were very much appreciated. We had NO issues of the GC being responsive in a timely manner on any of our requests. :)</p>
<p>Transcripts were never offered to us....I would have been happy to make copies etc. (Pre-college transcripts were given in sealed envelopes so that I could mail return receipt.) We were never allowed to view the letters of recommendations...that was a BIG taboo (seems in the past that some parents were not thrilled with what was said about their children, therefore, pressuring teachers to make changes!) I too thought the fee was "crazy" (especially when that was their (CC's) jobs-we had 3+ counselors for 160 seniors-only 2 applying to M/T programs), but went along with it so that the paperwork kept moving. I guess I was avoiding the added stress, and most of us know what I'm talking about. ;-)</p>
<p>I like the idea of the cookies and goodies for the GC. The GC assigned to my son was able to get his info turned around in a week. But we did request it early. I am going to attach this thread in an email to the Principal, Superintendent, and Board of Education when I finish the rest of my research.
I didn't know FERPA had anything to so with High Schools. Thanks for the clarification.</p>
<p>FYI- to my above post-
CC - College Counselors - we had a separate office which ONLY handled
college</p>
<p>GC - Guidance Counselors were available as well</p>
<p>llong39;
- $30 and public - wow now that is excessive!</p>
<p>We have no separate counselors just for college related advising here. The GCs deal with every aspect of school and with every type of student....one third are not even college bound. The student keeps the same guidance counselor from seventh through twelfth, though they may have now changed that to ninth through twelfth. </p>
<p>As my kids finished each application, they went into their GC and told him and then he packaged up his package (which was separate) which included transcript , school profile, counselor report and teacher recs. My kids even helped him with the copier and it was always done right away. I think he may have upwards of 275 students but all are not seniors. I also believe the secretary does some of the work as well of this nature.</p>
<p>I was just discussing today with fellow employees how the counselors at my D's school provide very little assistance to our students. Luckily our school does not charge for transcripts (yet). My Ds counsler was less then pleased to find out she was applying to more than 2 schools. He actually told me that was ridiculous. He hasn't wanted to do too much work anyway including fixing her schedule that was totally wrong. These schools are crazy for charging so much for transcripts. I guess I was under the impression that was one of the things the schools provide the students.</p>
<p>the idea of charging for transcripts seems so ridiculous to me. my school does it all for free- prints them, mails them, and everything. we just have to turn the request form in 2-3 weeks in advance for EA and ED, and 1 month in advance for RD.</p>
<p>I was a guidance aide my freshman year, and my big job was to help the secretary with transcripts. The most time-consuming part of the job was printing out the labels to put on the envelopes (because she needed to figure out how many for each school to print). It... doesn't take that much time. We could get about 50 transcripts printed, stamped, and sealed in an envelope in each 42-minute block.</p>