Five years after California outlawed withholding transcripts to collect campus debts, a UC Merced survey found 24 of 115 community colleges still display website language suggesting transcript holds for unpaid balances. Researchers called the discrepancy a communications failure that could mislead students about their rights. California officials say campuses are following the law and the misleading language is largely clerical—but the findings raise questions about institutional compliance practices and student‑facing policy management. Nationally, at least a dozen states have enacted similar bans, and the federal government implemented related protections last year. Financial‑aid and records offices should audit public web materials, student accounts practices and staff training to ensure consistency with statutory protections. Administrators also face pressure to design nonpunitive debt‑resolution pathways that preserve access to transcripts and subsequent enrollment or employment opportunities.