Withholding a diploma if tuition isn't settled

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:11 pm

I've heard that some schools will not release a diploma or transcript if that students tuition isn't paid or at least a conversation.
On the one hand I get it. The school needs the tuition.
In the other hand, it's not the child's fault that the parents don't have the money/were irresponsible with money/the school is being unrealistic and unreasonable

What are your thoughts?

amother

Peachpuff ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:15 pm

I was basically kicked out of a school due to chassidish politics and my dd never got her 8th grade diploma cuz we refused to pay the last few months.
I felt bad but the diploma wasn’t worth $3,000 (what we owed for multiple kids)

amother

Burgundy ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:32 pm

amother Peachpuff wrote:

Don't you think it's important to pay tuition to the best of your ability? How is it not stealing?

chestnut ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:35 pm

amother Peachpuff wrote:

Why did you refuse to pay, if I may ask?
Was she able to get into a HS?

amother

Amber ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:40 pm

While it isn't the child's fault per se, the parents entered into a contract with a school to pay for their child's education - and they didn't pay.

How exactly would you want the school to incentivize parents to pay?

Would you prefer the school throw the child out if tuition wasn't paid?

amother

↑ OP

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:51 pm

But a parent who just doesn't have the money but without the diploma or official transcript, the child will lose FAFSA and other aid can lose all funding for seminary/college. (For this conversation, let's assume that the child saved up to pay for all the seminary that's not being covered by FAFSA).
That's a real loss to the child all because her parents can't or won't pay the remaining tuition.

amother

↑ Burgundy

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:55 pm

amother OP wrote:

That is the parents responsibility. Why would that be the school's problem?
They very often agree to negotiate.
But the parents need to have the attitude that they are trying their best.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:56 pm

amother OP wrote:

"Or at least a conversation" is the operative part here.
Why shouldn't parents have a conversation to discuss outstanding collections in order to finish receiving "service" from the school?
Even if they can't pay it all now, a conversation to figure out how to move forward isn't unreasonable at all.

amother

Celeste ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:57 pm

amother OP wrote:

Yup and the parent would be to blame for that

amother

↑ Peachpuff ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:57 pm

amother Burgundy wrote:

Don't you think it's important to pay tuition to the best of your ability? How is it not stealing?

Of course I do and I always pay whatever amount was agreed on, on time.
To our myself from where I am.
But here the school called parents 2 days before pesach to let them know that suddenly they aren’t chassidish enough for the school anymore and either they change schools or their kid will be put into a class labeled modern kids class.
So since I wasn’t going to have my kids called modern I had to suddenly change them for the next year. I had a destroyed yom tov. The school actually hired random people to make these phone calls and let us know this…
And no I was never considered modern in this school and am still not in the very heimish schools I send to now.
And I don’t feel bad since I was actually told by someone in the school that they charge tuition in preschool even though they also ask us to sign for headstart… and they use that extra so they can charge less money in the older years and I had kids in/just finished preschool.

amother

↑ Celeste ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:58 pm

amother Peachpuff wrote:

I dont care what your issues are with a school, you sent there you pay. Period. You dont like something the school does you pull your kid out. What kind of chutzpah to send and not pay. Did you ask a sheila? How is this not stealing ?!

amother

↑ Amber ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 7:03 pm

What are the actual circumstances in which this is done

Has the school attempted to set up meetings with parents so there can be a payment plan?

Have the parents just ignored all of the invoices and messages?

Also the parents managed to pay tuition UNTIL it was the last year when they didn't have to send their child back in September so they thought the school had no leverage to collect.

If a parent doesn't pay, the other parents are going to have to pay extra for the amount not paid/

amother

↑ Celeste ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 7:06 pm

amother OP wrote:

You know who it would be a loss to if the school didnt use the leverage? Another kid a kid whose parents struggle to pay and now have to pay even more to cover all those that dont pay. Those parents certainly dont have $$ to send to seminary and probably make too much to qualify for Fafsa

amother

Mulberry

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 7:08 pm

I recall finishing seminary and not getting my sem diploma (does it mean anything??) because my parents didn't finish paying up. they felt the sem "got enough" through financial aid.
me, as a do-gooder, went and paid up slowly the next year, using money I worked for.

amother

↑ Celeste ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 7:10 pm

amother Mulberry wrote:

Wow that is so impressive. Hashem should repay u tenfold!

amother

↑ Amber ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 7:12 pm

Colleges require full payment when you enroll each semester and if your check bounces, you can't go to class - or receive credit for the class although I would imagine you could physically go to a large lecture class without paying.

Don't seminaries require payment in full when you start?

amother

Eggshell ↓

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 7:14 pm

amother Celeste wrote:

did you read? She said she was kicked out because mid year they decided she wasnt frum enough.