I was told on the last day of classes in my senior year of high school that even though I had earned the proper class credits and passing grades in order to successfully graduate, I would not be getting my diploma certificate because I never paid my $20 in “Senior Dues”. At the beginning of the year, they stated that your $20 in Senior Dues got you admission tickets to the graduation ceremony, paid for after-school activities that I never attended, etc. I saw it even back then for what it was, a school money-grab. And I didn’t even care to attend my graduation, so I just said screw it and didn’t pay it. Still, I was never told that they would withhold my diploma from me until I paid. I found that wrong, and in my eyes blackmail by them to get that money. This was in 1992, so any insane school policy today doesn’t surprise me at all.
I had the same scam in high school. It was the “pay $50 for your high school yearbook or you don’t graduate” scam. I was also on the varsity basketball team, had 2 jobs to help out my parents who were struggling and still managed to get on the deans list and they still didn’t give me my walking papers until embarrassingly my mom knew from another parent.