Nineteen Dundee University students have been unable to graduate over the last three years because they failed to pay their library fines.
Six students were not allowed to graduate from the university due to their outstanding fines in 2012/13, while another four could not graduate the year before. And in 2010/11 nine were prevented from graduating.
Hundreds of students across Scotland were in a similar position and the Office of Fair Trading is investigating the terms and conditions used by some universities to prevent students from graduating or enrolling onto the next academic year if they owe monies to the university which relate to non-academic debts. The investigation includes looking at unpaid library fines.
A spokesman for Dundee University said: “According to the university’s ordinances, the award of any degree may be refused if a student is in debt to the university or to the Students’ Association in respect of a fine or other penalty.
“We offer advice and support to any student who may be experiencing financial difficulties to try and ensure such issues do not become a barrier to academic success whilst also taking appropriate action to recover debt owed to the university.”
The university was unable to provide information on individual cases.
However, the maximum fine per item currently stands at £15. Undergraduate students can borrow up to 12 items at any one time meaning they have the potential to accrue a maximum fine of £180. For postgraduates that figures rises to £270.
According to figures obtained by student newspaper The Journal, 38 students at Strathclyde University were unable to graduate because of fines between September 2008 and May 2013.
West Scotland University also prevented 214 from graduating. In the same period Scottish universities have made £3.82 million in library fines. Edinburgh University was the biggest earner, making £605,662.68.
However, they also waived or incurred unpaid fines of £195,000 during the same period. The National Union of Students said that it is unfair to “punish” academically, for non academic debt.
NUS Scotland president Gordon Maloney said: “It is entirely unacceptable that UWS or any other university in Scotland should prevent students from graduating due to unpaid library fines.
“Students who owe money for overdue library books or other non-academic debt should certainly pay off the money they owe, but preventing these students from receiving their degrees, which they have worked long hours to obtain, lacks any sense of proportionally.”