Nonpublic Schools - Transcripts - Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt
HB 534 would add a new section to Maryland’s Education Article prohibiting nonpublic schools that participate in State-funded education programs from using transcript access as leverage to collect debts owed by students or former students. The bill bars these schools from refusing to issue a transcript, conditioning release on payment, charging a higher transcript fee because a debt is owed, giving less favorable treatment to a transcript request, or otherwise using transcript issuance as a debt-collection tool.
The bill defines “debt” broadly to include money or obligations owed to the school, but excludes any fee charged for the actual cost of producing a transcript. It applies to current and former students and also protects requests made by a student’s parent or guardian. The measure would take effect July 1, 2026, and would create a new statutory restriction on nonpublic schools that receive State-funded education program participation.
HB 534 would amend Maryland law by adding Education Article § 7-118, creating enforceable limits on how participating nonpublic schools may respond to unpaid balances when students seek transcripts. It would not eliminate school debts, but it would remove transcript withholding and related punitive practices as collection methods. The affected parties are nonpublic schools in State-funded education programs, current and former students, and parents or guardians requesting records on their behalf.
The available legislative context suggests the bill moved forward without recorded opposition in the materials provided: it received a favorable committee report and was adopted in the House. No committee transcript or vote breakdown is included, so there is no evidence here of significant public controversy or divided debate. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a student-protection measure with broad support.
The main policy issue underlying the bill is the balance between a school’s ability to collect unpaid tuition or other charges and a student’s access to academic records needed for employment, transfer, or further education. Supporters would likely view transcript withholding as an unfair penalty that can harm students long after they leave school, while any opponents would be concerned about limiting schools’ leverage to recover debts. The bill resolves that tension in favor of protecting transcript access, while still allowing schools to charge only the actual cost of transcript production.