In the context of this paper, and higher education institutional practice, a "hold" is defined as a means an institution may employ to prevent a student from completing an action, such as registering for a class or accessing an official transcript. Holds are most often used as an attempt to motivate a student to take an action sought by the institution. Two types of holds employed by institutions to spur a student to action are registration holds and transcript holds. A registration hold can cause a student stress as she seeks to resolve an issue while trying to complete the term or enroll as a first-time student. A transcript hold may prevent a student from transitioning to other opportunities until the reason for the hold is resolved. This report demonstrates a greater understanding of how and why holds are used, and the impact these holds have on students. [For the companion report, "Stop! Do Not Pass Go! Institutional Practices Impeding Undergraduate Student Advancement: Part 2: A National Sample of Policy and Practice," see ED616621.]