Korean Job Discussion Forums

kentucker4 · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Location: Georgia

Sent my CBC to get an Apostille but just found out from my university that they are holding my transcripts because I owe them $1,600. I really want to just pay off the loan, but have bad credit and don't want to risk a payday loan. Any other countries except an original copy of a diploma with no transcripts required?

Kikomom · Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 8:34 am Post subject:

Wow, classic Catch-22. You can't pay them off without a job, and can't get a decent job without the transcripts. All I can say is Wow (as in, they got you by the ballz).

Ken, are you anywhere near Duluth, GA? Here's a void that needs filled... start your own 'informal' hogwon (semi-privates) for the wives and kids of auto workers.
Koreans arrested in massive US visa scam

Not the visa scam! Just the English lessons.

kentucker4 · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Location: Georgia

You would think the friggin $50,000 I paid to attend their university would offset a $1,000 fee. College these days is just starting to look more and more like a waste of money. My wonderful $11 an hour job right now was so worth those years of studying and forking over a small fortune.

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

I would talk to the university again and ask to go on some payment plan with them. In exchange they give you your transcripts now so you can make more money to pay off the loan in full.

If they don't accept that then tell them you won't be able to pay any of it since you simply don't have the funds now.

Kikomom · Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject:

Good idea, Life.

And if the person you're speaking to gives you 'official policy' stuff, ask to speak to their Supervisor. Then let the S know that you understand the first person was only following guidelines, but you really need some help in this situation.

kentucker4 · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Location: Georgia

I talked to one of the people in charge and she told me a collection agency was now in charge of the fee. The collection agency told me I need to pay the balance in full to remove the hold....so did the university. F%66 it, I'm about to get a pay day loan that I can't pay back and live overseas the majority of my life.

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

dporter · Joined: 26 Apr 2009

Actually, this exact thing happened to me this month.

I tried to get my transcripts but was told I had a balance due of just over $1000. I wanted to work out something with the university but they had already turned the debt over to the state.

I contacted the state's attorney general's office who said that 'by law' they could not negotiate a deal. The balance had to be paid in full.

I went back to the university and they said they could not release my transcripts until the state's attorney general's office removed the hold.

And the circle goes 'round and 'round.

Seeing how there was no way out I took out a personal loan to pay off the debt. I'll continue to make payments while in Korea and should have it paid off by the end of the year.

My only suggestion is to borrow whatever you can from family and work as many jobs as possible over the next month to pay that off.

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

Sometimes schools don't care about official or unofficial transcripts. I printed out an unofficial transcript online and used that the last time.

I paid my loans (as mentioned below), but maybe they only hold your account for official transcripts. Also, there is something else.

If the university handed the case over to the state, then the hold should be removed. It's no longer a university issue. You should still be able to get transcripts.

I had 8,000 dollars in loans I had to pay before I went to Japan. Since I wasn't a full-time student my last year, the state decided to start my grace period early and not notify me about it. When I went to ask the university about a payment plan to pay back the loans, they said they couldn't help me cause my payments were in default.

I then had someone from Department of Education asking for full payment or else it would go on my credit history. I wasn't able to work out a payment plan, but this didn't affect me getting transcripts though.

It seems strange that the school would continue with their hold on your account. What if you decided to continue studying there? Would they allow that? What would happen if you wanted to study abroad? Wouldn't you need to submit your transcripts to get accepted into the program? The school would be putting itself in a bind if it restricted you.

blackjack · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: anyang