Found Elusive Anecdote of What Can Happen if You Don't Disclose All Previous Colleges

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by sanantone, May 10, 2014.

Loading...
  1. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Colleges usually have a policy that you will no longer be considered for admission, expelled, or have your degree revoked if you omit previous colleges from your application. A common question is, "How can a school find out?" The common answers are through financial aid and the National Student Clearinghouse. On another forum, a student decided to request a FERPA block with the National Student Clearinghouse; however, I believe it's still possible for colleges to share information with each other without permission for educational purposes.

    Anyway, I've been looking for examples of people getting caught and finally found them.

    Transfer to another college and not provide previous school's transcript? - Page 8 - College Confidential


    This one is not clear. I don't know if the person got caught not listing the school or that he/she did list the school on the application, and the transcript either didn't make it to the school or was lost. I also don't know if it varies by accreditor, but I know of graduate schools that don't require transcripts from junior colleges. It doesn't seem to be an issue with their accreditors.
    Not Sending Transcripts from Certain Institutions. - College Confidential
     
  2. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I found more examples.

    Can I etchasketch my education history? - college admissions communitycollege | Ask MetaFilter

    This is from this forum, but I don't know if this university has only caught omissions because of transfer credits found on a submitted transcript.

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/38103-did-you-ever-exclude-any-schools-you-attended-your-application-consequences.html

    Here is something official.
    The Arrow: Local News: University officials say they correctly followed admission process in Nafis case (11/05/12)
     
  3. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Of all the schools I've applied to and been accepted, including four doctoral programs, I have never included all of my transcripts. I do it mostly because a few of them are irrelevant. I typically do not include uncompleted stints at several community colleges, but I always include transcripts from all of the degrees I have earned. Never had any problems. Sounds like things are changing.
     
  4. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    If there really is a National Student Clearinghouse that supposedly keeps track of all institutions previously attended by students, why can they not also act as a repository for all previously earned college credits? A national credit bank, if you will. I have taken courses from over a dozen different schools. It sure would be nice to only have to order one transcript when the need arises. The last time I had to order transcripts, I paid over $100 in transcript fees. :mad:
     
  5. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I guess it depends on whether or not the college you're applying to cares to conduct a search. Some do, some don't.

    Here is a list of participating colleges.
    EnrollmentVerify Schools | National Student Clearinghouse

    Credit banking is offered by a few colleges, but colleges normally want a transcript directly from the source. It would be nice if they could upload the credits into a national database.
     
  6. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Forever after having graduated from Charter Oak, I've asked the admissions person at whatever school to which I've applied whether they really want all eight transcripts from my peripatetic undergraduate career, or whether the one from the institution from which I graduated will do since it lists the origin of all the credits that transfered into it. Invariably the response has been that the latter will be fine.

    But I suppose I am covered from having asked.
     
  7. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I only had two schools let me enroll without one of my transcripts. I couldn't get it until I paid off my account balance. However, they told me that I wouldn't be allowed to graduate until they received it. My PhD program only wanted transcripts from senior colleges. All of the other schools I've applied to would not let me enroll until all transcripts were received. I never asked the graduate schools if they would accept the final transcript from TESC in lieu of the ones from the colleges previously attended. I did come across a post on this forum where someone said a school asked for TESC's credit bank transcript because TESC's transfer credits were listed on another school's transcript.
     
  8. RAM PhD

    RAM PhD Member

    Interesting subject matter, thanks for beginning the thread.
     
  9. jhp

    jhp Member

    Great.

    An other place to "accidentally" disclose all my personal details so I can be fleeced legally or illegally.
     
  10. jumbodog

    jumbodog New Member

    People can post anything they want on-line, my advice on this specific topic is to be skeptical. Deeply skeptical. I've worked academic administration in higher education (staff, not professor) and I've never heard of anyone ever being expelled, let alone in the middle of a program, for such a silly reason. I frankly don't believe it. Personally, I too have never submitted all my transcripts--costs too much--and I have never had anyone ever say boo about it.

    This is a big country and there are millions of students so anything is possible. But this whole thread strikes me as some type of bizarre scare tactics.

    "Anyway, I've been looking for examples of people getting caught and finally found them."

    Why have you been looking?
     
  11. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Your online, anecdotal story is not any more valid than anyone else's. I am sure you have not worked at enough colleges to have a representative sample. How your school operates is not how every school operates. I looked because, even though schools usually have a policy saying that one will be expelled or have his or her degree revoked if previous schools were omitted on the application, some people don't believe that any school would actually check. By the way, I posted an article that had official comments from a school. So, we know for sure that at least one college checks. I often advise people not to take the chance of trying to hide bad grades from previous colleges. Not only is it unethical because you could end up taking the place of a more deserving student, especially a student who was more honest than you were, but there is the chance you could lose all of the money and effort you put into a degree program.
     
  12. jumbodog

    jumbodog New Member

    I looked because, even though schools usually have a policy saying that one will be expelled or have his or her degree revoked if previous schools were omitted on the application, some people don't believe that any school would actually check.

    Who are these "some people" that you are so concerned about?
     
  13. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    My understanding is that schools are becoming more likely to require all previous transcripts, and the reason is because of a financial aid scam known as "Pell running" or "stipend chasing":

    Of course, there is nothing inherently illegal or unethical about attending multiple schools, or obtaining financial aid to do so. But if a student has done nothing but immediately flunk out of school after school, then that's a red flag -- and if you collect previous transcripts, you can easily tell if that's been happening. So Pell runners target schools that don't require previous transcripts, and avoid the schools that do:

     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 18, 2014
  14. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    It's easy to find threads on this forum where people have asked about not sending all of their transcripts. However, I mostly answer these types of questions on DegreeForum.net. Obviously, this question is asked all the time on College Confidential.
     
  15. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    FWIW, I'm with you. I think there are instances of fraud- like trying to get out of paying owed tuition, hide a bad grade, etc. and there are instances when educational history is very important (med school, etc) but in general, I also don't think colleges demonstrate this kind of enthusiasm to "get" you.

    If you used a school like TESC and multiple credit sources, clearly the sources are out there and there is a good chance you're going to be asked to provide all original transcripts. I've been asked more than once. As to a student having a random credit - paid full and clear with a good grade- on some odd transcript from years ago that was never used in any way shape or form? My money is on the college not giving a rat's behind.

    As to WHY this thread? I'm so vain, I probably think this thread is about me. :kiss:
     
  16. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    Both Southern Methodist University and Georgetown University requested me to supply Thomas Edison State College's transcript. I used TESC for credit bank only, but since my Troy University transcript indicated that I was transferred from TESC. Which I did not discourse information about TESC, but finally they accepted the transcript even though there was no grades and only credit banks.
     
  17. PilgrimPastor

    PilgrimPastor New Member

    When I applied last year into the Ed.D. Program with California Coast they were very particular that ALL transcript were received; even the transcript from one course in Christian Ed I took from Eugene Bible College years ago. UBC has since been absorbed into another institution & the transcript was a bit of work to get. It took someone from the records office being to dig a while. Same thing with some transcripts from the former Harcourt Learning & Thompson Learning Direct, even though the records from other degrees show them on the transcripts from other degrees.

    CCU's stated reason for needing ALL Original transcripts was because of my usage of some remaining veterans benefits from Active Duty Military, in case of an audit, conceivably by DOE / VA.
     
  18. hypoelectron

    hypoelectron New Member

    I have a relevant story to share despite the age of this topic. Recently I gave testimony to the BBB via complaint which was transferred into the Dept of Education's legal team for a class action suit. At the time I was attempting to transfer from my local community college into a program at Wayne State I did not disclose the semester I had spent at a DETC accredited 'diploma mill'. Enough time had elapsed that the credits were unusable and honestly I forgot about it. Needless to say the university slammed the book on my application. After spending about 100$'s to get them a transcript they rejected it's authenticity anyway and indeed the accreditation of that school. The fact that I attended what they consider a diploma mill is now on file. I was lucky that my bounty of legitimate credits outweighed that oversight so I was only required to wait a semester before reapplying. I was so angry however that I chose a different school. From the conversation I had with the legal secretary who did my interview there are over 3,000 complaints against that school and if enough have written evidence like mine (i.e. denial letter), Ashworth will be shut down in the near future.
     
  19. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    There is less acceptance of credits/degrees from nationally accredited (includes DETC) schools, but they aren't diploma mills. While not all unaccredited schools are diploma mills, a school has to be unaccredited to be considered one. Even though a regionally accredited school might not accept credits/degrees from a nationally accredited school, I wouldn't be surprised if it still required transcripts from that school for auditing purposes.
     

Share This Page