Can a college withhold your grades?

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Can a college withhold your grades?

Anonymous Jan 6, 2016 Business 4 views 3 answers

Can a college with hold your grades? No outstanding bills. I did need to update my vaccination records prior to the start of spring semester but I don't feel it was appropriate for them to withhold my fall semester grades until I got a vaccine. Especially since it is a commuter college and the semester was over when I was notified I needed to get my immunizations updated. I got the vaccine over break. But there was no one at the college to enter it into the system so I had to wait 3 weeks to get my grades until the campus was open and someone could unlock my online account.

William Popovich · Accepted Answer · 2026-06-15T16:52:03+00:00

If they did, you know they can. Whether they were allowed to is another question, but if their policies say so, and by attending you agreed to follow their policies, then yes. And you have already remedied the situation.

Matthew Berkus · Accepted Answer · 2026-06-15T16:52:03+00:00

I admit, it seems like a petty reason, but this isn't a legal issue. If the actions are warranted under school policy, than it is okay.

Igor Raykin · Accepted Answer · 2026-06-15T16:52:03+00:00

With all due respect to the other attorneys who have replied, I have to disagree with them. Under a federal law called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which applies to any education institution that receives public funds, you generally have a right to your educational records. This right is specifically found in the FERPA regulations at 34 CFR Part 99 and in FERPA statute at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g. You can actually pull the regulations and statute up yourself because it's available for free online, and then you can draft a FERPA request and send it to the college.

Can a college withhold your grades?

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