owe school- holding transcript

[MrsHoff]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? alabama

okay i went to UAB for 3 semesters (fall 04, spring & fall 05). I had a Federal Pell Grant paying for it. I enrolled for Spring 06 but found out my grant had been dropped due to grades so i withdrew from my classes... or so i thought. I was told to get my grant back i had to write a letter explaining why my grades were bad and why i deserve the loan. I did so and they wanted all supporting documents- however, not all were available to me. Needless to say i didnt go back. Now im trying to go to a community college and DO NOT want to transfer my credits. I reapplied for a financial aid and was told i HAD TO HAVE my UAB transcript to be approved for aid even if i dont want to transfer credits. UAB wont give me the transcript because they claim i didnt drop the classes and owe $2000 to them. I obviously dont have $2000 or i wouldnt need the financial aid. Is there a way to fight this since there were numerous 'life changing" situations that occurred which is why my grades suffered?? (these situations are what i had to have supporting documents of: year of 2005, suffered miscarriage, father was sent to prison for a year, got in 2 accidents, both of which totalling my car and was forced to move out of my apt 2 weeks prior to the new term starting??

I spoke to a school official to ask if i could make payments to receive the transcript but she said the entire balance would need to be paid. I really dont know what to do since I had dropped the classes (or THOUGHT so anyways) and had no idea that i owed anything until now?? Im really stunned that someone can be denied college entrance due to the lack of a transcript if not transfering credits and that i cant get the transcript due to a balance i was unaware of. What should i do? And please dont say loan because i cant pay it back, my husband and i barely make rent + enough for our 2 toddler and infant children.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

[Antigone*of*Greece]

Originally Posted by MrsHoff

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? alabama

okay i went to UAB for 3 semesters (fall 04, spring & fall 05). I had a Federal Pell Grant paying for it. I enrolled for Spring 06 but found out my grant had been dropped due to grades so i withdrew from my classes... or so i thought. I was told to get my grant back i had to write a letter explaining why my grades were bad and why i deserve the loan. I did so and they wanted all supporting documents- however, not all were available to me. Needless to say i didnt go back. Now im trying to go to a community college and DO NOT want to transfer my credits. I reapplied for a financial aid and was told i HAD TO HAVE my UAB transcript to be approved for aid even if i dont want to transfer credits. UAB wont give me the transcript because they claim i didnt drop the classes and owe $2000 to them. I obviously dont have $2000 or i wouldnt need the financial aid. Is there a way to fight this since there were numerous 'life changing" situations that occurred which is why my grades suffered?? (these situations are what i had to have supporting documents of: year of 2005, suffered miscarriage, father was sent to prison for a year, got in 2 accidents, both of which totalling my car and was forced to move out of my apt 2 weeks prior to the new term starting??

I spoke to a school official to ask if i could make payments to receive the transcript but she said the entire balance would need to be paid. I really dont know what to do since I had dropped the classes (or THOUGHT so anyways) and had no idea that i owed anything until now?? Im really stunned that someone can be denied college entrance due to the lack of a transcript if not transfering credits and that i cant get the transcript due to a balance i was unaware of. What should i do? And please dont say loan because i cant pay it back, my husband and i barely make rent + enough for our 2 toddler and infant children.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

You are going to have to do something to pay for those transcripts if you want to the aid. They do have the legal right to hold onto them until they have been paid in full.

[MrsHoff]

Thank you for your reply, however that is a very obvious answer. I thought i made it clear in my question that i can not afford to pay $2100 for classes of which i never took. i dropped them before the term even started. Did not step foot in a class room or on campus after dropping the classes. Is there no way to get the school to drop the balance since i did withdrawl from classes prior to term start date (university rules stated that as long as you dropped prior to the specified date - which is usually half way through- that you would receive a W for the class. And if you dropped prior to the first day of class you would not be charged for the class.) I should not have been charged at all so i dont understand why they feel that they can with hold a $5 transcript when i shouldnt owe the university anything. If they insist on the charges being paid, then i suppose i have no choice, but I need to know if there is some way i can petition against these charges to get my transcript.

[justalayman]

By dropping the classes, do you mean you went to the dean or whomever and filled out a withdrawal? or do you mean you simply never went?

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by MrsHoff

Thank you for your reply, however that is a very obvious answer. I thought i made it clear in my question that i can not afford to pay $2100 for classes of which i never took. i dropped them before the term even started. Did not step foot in a class room or on campus after dropping the classes. Is there no way to get the school to drop the balance since i did withdrawl from classes prior to term start date (university rules stated that as long as you dropped prior to the specified date - which is usually half way through- that you would receive a W for the class. And if you dropped prior to the first day of class you would not be charged for the class.) I should not have been charged at all so i dont understand why they feel that they can with hold a $5 transcript when i shouldnt owe the university anything. If they insist on the charges being paid, then i suppose i have no choice, but I need to know if there is some way i can petition against these charges to get my transcript.

**A: obviously you are mistaken.

[MrsHoff]

I went to my advisor, explained the situation, and told her that i wanted to drop all the classes. At UAB you cant drop on your own, you have to talk to an advisor and they have to do it for you. Like i said before, i never received any bill or anything saying i owed and this happened 3 years ago. First i knew about it was when i went to get my transcript monday and the lady told me i owed them money so i asked her to send me a bill with all the info on it. This really is a serious matter to me. myself and my family are ultimately being punished for someone else's mistake since i can not attend any other school without that transcript. It would take me forever to pay off $2100, i have a 2 yr old and a 9 month old, am a waitress and my husband is a cook. Each month after we pay our bills ($750 rent plus cable and power, gas, etc) there's maybe $100-$200 left over which always gets used for diapers, car maintence, etc.

[perroloco2]

I suggest that you visit the university to find out why the charges are still on your record. It's possible that the advisor made a mistake, and it's also possible that you didn't follow all the steps required for withdrawal. There's nothing you can do until you straighten that out.

At any rate, your problem is with UAB, not the financial aid office or the college you want to attend now.

[debtcollector`]

Originally Posted by MrsHoff

I went to my advisor, explained the situation, and told her that i wanted to drop all the classes. At UAB you cant drop on your own, you have to talk to an advisor and they have to do it for you. Like i said before, i never received any bill or anything saying i owed and this happened 3 years ago. First i knew about it was when i went to get my transcript monday and the lady told me i owed them money so i asked her to send me a bill with all the info on it. This really is a serious matter to me. myself and my family are ultimately being punished for someone else's mistake since i can not attend any other school without that transcript. It would take me forever to pay off $2100, i have a 2 yr old and a 9 month old, am a waitress and my husband is a cook. Each month after we pay our bills ($750 rent plus cable and power, gas, etc) there's maybe $100-$200 left over which always gets used for diapers, car maintence, etc.

Have you considered that you can't afford to go to college? How are you going to pay your bills when you have to quit your job or take less hours due to classes? Perhaps you need to make some better choices first: Cancel the cable, find a cheaper place to live, don't consider your baby's health something for leftover money. Buy the diapers first.

If you are not making appropriate time available for classes, study and homework, you are not going to be successful this time either. Spend your money wisely. If you can't do it, wait. College will be there next year.

DC

[12345672]

WITHDRAWAL FROM COURSES
REQUIRED PROCEDURES
Withdrawal from courses can only be accomplished using official
procedures. The official withdrawal form must be completed
by the student, signed by the instructor if necessary, and must be
returned to the Office of Registration and Academic Records. This
office will date/time stamp the form and return a copy along with
a computerized receipt. These documents should be carefully
retained by the student. The date printed on the receipt is the official
date of withdrawal.
In extraordinary circumstances, if it is impossible for the student
to obtain an official withdrawal form, the student may mail a withdrawal
letter to the Office of Registration and Academic Records.
The official date of withdrawal will be the date the letter is
received in this office.
Failure to attend class does not constitute a formal drop or withdrawal.
For financial aid purposes, the date of last class attendance
will be the official date of withdrawal unless otherwise documented.
See the university policy for withdrawal from courses for more
information.

ADJUSTMENT OF CHARGES
On the academic calendar for each term, there is a date designated
“last day to withdraw from classes without paying full
tuition.” The student’s residency status on that day determines the
tuition rate incurred for that term. If a student officially withdraws
from all courses prior to 5:00 p.m. on that date, all course related
tuition and fees will be canceled. However, other fees previously
assessed for services provided, fees assessed based on registration
commitments and the fee for withdrawal ($20.00) will remain due
and payable by the published deadline. (Consult the current term
UAB Class Schedule for specific fees.) If a student withdraws after
that date, total tuition and fees are due and no refunds can be
made (except in cases where a licensed physician certifies that the
student is incapable of continuing with the course because of a
serious medical condition which arose after the above date).
Students withdrawn for disciplinary reasons or for nonpayment
of fees are ineligible for refunds or cancellation of charges due.

[url]http://www.catalog.uab.edu/2004-2006%20Undergraduate%20Catalog.pdf[/url]

[justalayman]

It would appear by your (MrsHoff) explanation and 1234567's sleuthing, you did not properly drop the classes. As such, the charges would be considered proper.


The only hope I would see is to take your explanation to the bursar and hope they are sympathetic.

if there is any record of you attending any of the classes or submitting any class related work beyond the last date for withdrawal, you might as well give it up now.

[MrsHoff]

Thanks for what i suppose was you trying to help but you either cant read or have no idea what its like to have a family. Your right, i CANT afford to attend college... which is why i have applied for FINANCIAL AID. And as far as the life advice, im not an idiot or a bad parent. I live in HUD housing, the CHEAPEST apartment in my area, receive foodstamps, my husband and i both work FULL TIME jobs and my girls are very well taken care of. They do not go without- EVER. The only reason i even asked this question is because i want this resolved so that i can GO BACK to school, make more money to BETTER provide for my family. I understand that your reply is your opinion but it was somewhat hurtful and you were basically making the assumption that i would rather try to pay for something that is not a basic neccesity (i.e cable bill) before buying diapers.

As for the other replies- thank you for your research. I did speak to someone in billing and they told me the charges said Spring 2007- which made no sense what so ever. What sucks is that i dont remember who my advisor was, have no documents from the withdrawl, or anything.

[Country Living]

Originally Posted by MrsHoff

Thanks for what i suppose was you trying to help but you either cant read or have no idea what its like to have a family. Your right, i CANT afford to attend college... which is why i have applied for FINANCIAL AID.

I'm not picking on you - I just want to make sure you understand the majority components of financial aid are loans that have to be repaid. If you get a degree in which the market is saturated or if you drop out of school before you finish your degree, you'll be making payments on a waitress and cook's salaries.

If you're looking for a quick liberal arts degree, you may be paying off the loans for twenty years because your annual salary may not allow an earlier payoff. Some specialized degrees are even having trouble finding work in today's economy.

There are exceptions. Some areas are paying for nursing and medical doctor degrees if you go back and work there for a specific number of years.