The primary intent of placing registration, grades, and/or transcript holds is to provide students with information regarding relatively specific circumstances that require the student to resolve an issue with the office that entered the hold.

The OtR practice is to use the holds to prompt students to take administrative or academic required actions. Holds are only placed when it is considered the most effective path to prompt the required action.

Due to their restrictive nature, registration holds are used only in those instances when continued registration would harm either the student or the institution. These holds are used as a last resort after all other efforts to prompt action by the student failed.