1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Protecting Access to Student Transcripts Act of 2019”.
Protecting Access to Student Transcripts Act of 2019
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit institutions of higher education from denying students access to transcripts because of loan default.
2. Prohibition on loss of access to transcripts for loan default
In general— Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(30)
“(A) The institution will not prohibit a student from accessing the student’s transcripts, degree scrolls, or other certifications of coursework or educational attainments at the institution because the student is in default on a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under this title.
“(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term student includes former students.”
Effective date— The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect with respect to academic year 2019–2020 and each succeeding academic year.