It’s no secret that student loan repayment has been a vicious never-ending cycle since the economic recession began almost five years ago. But it is colleges and universities that are currently making it difficult for students in debt rather than the banks that were bailed out.

According to an article first published in the nation many students who are in default on their loans have had requests for their transcripts denied. The article tells the story of a Temple University student who needed to earn his doctorate to get a job in music education, but found himself $62,000 in debt between Stafford, Perkins and private bank loans. Temple laid him off three years after he became an adjunct professor, then froze him out when it came time for him to send his transcripts to schools.

With the importance of various degrees to get a decent salary, it’s extremely hypocritical and unfair for colleges to have this policy, which the U.S. Department of Education supports. Students often work two or more jobs just to make ends meet, and they have enough trouble with employers during the application process alone. As built-in incentives for early loan payoffs disappear and interest rates skyrocket, banks and colleges need to come together and devise a plan that does not punish students for their ambition or hard work.