Would you divulge your credit score or history for a college class?

In my final assignment for a "Lifelong Learning" course, one of the things they want me to do is get my credit scores from the Big Three and discuss the results. This is only part of a very long assignment about goals, so it's not like the whole thing is about this one question.

Personally, I don't like it when employers, insurance companies or anyone else does a credit check on me without my ok. I think too many people have my information as it is. I'm not a kid just starting out, I *have* a history and I'm not giving it to someone I've never even met face to face (it's an online course). Heck, I wouldn't even tell a close friend.

Basically that's the answer I gave above, give or take a few words. I'm sticking to it, realizing it might get me in trouble.

What would you do? (forget about Jesus, just this once! ;-)

No current credit lines, etc. No job. No house.

No, I wouldn't be comfortable doing this. I would make one up. And I'd make it low because you don't know who is going to read it.

can you get the credit reports, and generically talk about how the suggestions on the credit reports might work for you? LIke they will say somewhere "your score could be improved by blah blah blah," based on whatever your blah blah blah is.

Do it generically, and don't divulge your number.

And if need be, complain about the teacher to the administration.

and asked whether this is consistent with the institution's policies ?

I probably would check the obituaries for someone recently deceased and I would access their credit information and use it in class as my own. That way you get your assignment done and don't have to have your privacy intruded on. I would also object to the assignment as you already have.

i,m sick and tire of all these people asking about personal information , stick with it and stay safe

in fact offer a good and a bad number scenario and work out a goal either way.

Do the assignment and get my A. ;)

would resonate more with the students if it was made more personal. But I think there should be some concession made for people who already understand the importance of credit in their lives and how easily it can be affected.

Maybe you should tell this teacher of yours that you've already pulled your free report for the year and don't want to have any more points taken points off your credit rating by pulling another report.

screwed anyway.

what the scores are all about. For example, you could say: "What does it mean to have a score of 550 versus 650" and include that in your report. That way you have done some primary research. When discussing the results, using third person is perhaps the best way to go so that no one thinks that you're actually using someone's score.

Why isn't the question about a generic credit rating? Wouldn't you be asking the same question of everyone, to be able to grade it correctly?

Nobody gets my info. Nobody. Where's my gun?! :P

I'd be as bold as to say the professor is skating on thin ice, legally speaking. You have to give permission before any third party can gain access to your credit report, history, or score. The professor's asking this is, in my opinion, a kind of academic coercion that really falls squarely within the area known as "your right to privacy."

I'd speak with him, at his office, during office hours, and express your concerns and your reluctance to make your personal financial information public to anyone - including him. If he gives you attitude about it, take it to the Dean, because then we have a true case of bullying (coercion) and you're on the right side.

I'd have the same concerns if anyone in a position of authority - like a teacher - asked a student for the results of her last PAP test, his last chest x-ray, my mother's last blood test, your father's last colonoscopy.

Some things are private, and are protected by law for that specific reason.

Let me know how you make up, and a big round of applause to you for having such good instincts and knowing when someone is overstepping the line. You got what we lawyers call "good guts," kid.

it's none of their damned business what your credit is like, so make up a history and base your report on that. Do disclose that you're basing it on a fictitional person, because you don't feel comfortable allowing strangers access to your financial information. Explain that you've got a lot more to lose than a kid just starting out does, and that you're going to protect as much of your private information as you can.

they get mine.

like "I learned a lot by looking at my credit score. It was a valuable experience and I will now continue to periodically check my score."

I wouldn't go into specifics about the results. You are right, it's really none of their business.

And I don't think anyone can check your credit without your permission. Don't give out your social security number to be on the safe side.

and add this to it.

It can be hard even to get your OWN info if some minor piece of information is incorrect in your file.

I would use fake scores and tell the Prof that's what I was doing.

Most schools have policies against publicizing a student's grade. Some schools only permit the public posting of grades if the names are ommitted but others don't even allow public posting of grades associated just with student ID numbers. I would submit the contention to the Prof. that it's not in keeping with the school's way of respecting privavy (not making private information public) and the areas in which the school tends to respect privacy (e.g. the area of information that is evaluative) to permit, much less require the publicizing of the credit scores of any student,

If your school is different I will eat my hat.

Especially since this is an online course, the teach must have you sign a waiver that you have given permission for him/her to view your credit rating. If the prof isn't doing this, you could ask for one. If none is available, you could mention the liability risks of not conforming to the law in maintaining records of waivers from all parties who had access to the information.

Frankly, this sounds like a scam. An online institution could easily use the credit scores of their students to woo advertisers and marketers.

I'm no lawyer, but I bet a googling credit report and privacy will give you a lot of helpful information.

I take distance ed classes there. So it's not one of those online scam schools...

Personally, I think credit report ratings are totally bogus and arbitrary. They are used to keep consumers fearful of debt and to suck wealth out of the low-middle class. I've never checked mine and don't care what it is. I don't borrow money from companies.

So, being a former professor, I'd say: If you have a solid good grade with enough of a percentage of your final grade completed so that you need not worry about your grade, then you can hold the line because you're definitely in the right ethically and probably legally.

If most of your final grade has yet to be determined (i.e. final exam is 50% of grade), then you might try a neutral approach. Tell the professor of your concerns from a personal perspective. Use "I feel..." a lot. Then, offer reasonable alternatives (more than one, if you can) that you would "feel" more comfortable with doing.

If most of your grade is already determined and, well, it's not all that. And you really need a good grade, then the answer is easy. Empower the teacher. Send a note of private concern about the teacher's risk. Mention the school's risk as well. Be nice about it. Tell the teacher that you're sure he/she doesn't mean any harm, but your dad (or spouse) is a lawyer and says that this is a big "no-no" and you just really wanted to let the teacher know. Offer some reasonable alternatives. Include how you're sure that the teacher meant no harm. Include a LINK to the privacy policy page of a credit report agency. Be very supportive and tell how you are happy to do an alternative. But, don't ever offer to reveal your credit. This isn't a sure fire way of getting a good grade, but it's the least likely to hurt.

And, if you want to be nasty, add that your "lawyer dad" offered to let you use his credit report.

Ever see a teacher wet his pants?

Good luck! :toast:

to make it a little nicer than what I said in my original post. If she makes a stink about it, I'll get nasty, but I basically said I didn't feel comfortable giving out that information for a school project, even if it was a final project for the semester.

Thanks! :hi:

credit score is. And I doubt he/she can force you to divulge that information.