Last week, Louisiana legislators
passed a bill out of the House Education Committee that would bar colleges from
withholding diplomas, transcripts, and grades because of student debt.
Representative Julie Emerson from the little town of Carencro sponsored the
measure.
Jim
Henderson, President of the University of Louisiana System, praised the
bill. "We have a number of more effective tools that we can utilize on
student debt," President Henderson said at the legislative hearing on Emerson's
bill. In fact, he said, denying grades and transcripts is akin to putting
students in a "debtors prison."
Most of
Louisiana's private colleges are in New Orleans, and Rep. Aimee Freeman, a New
Orleans legislator, managed to exclude private schools from the bill, even
though no one from a private college showed up to oppose the measure.
"With [private college officials] not here," Freeman said
defensively, "I am feeling that I have to offer the amendment."
The practice of withholding
grades and diplomas from people who owe their colleges money is only one of
many punitive measures against cash-strapped college students. The New
York Times carried a story in 2017 about state laws that allow
agencies to seize professional licenses from student-loan defaulters. According
to Times reporters, 19 states have laws on the books that
allow for the revocation or suspension of professional licenses, including the
credentials of nurses, teachers, firefighters, attorneys, massage therapists,
barbers, psychologists, and real estate brokers.
Senators
Elizabeth Warren and Marco Rubio filed a bipartisan
bill in 2018 that would prevent states from withholding driver's licenses and
professional licenses over unpaid federal loans. The Times quoted Senator Rubio as saying, "It makes no sense to revoke
a professional license from someone who is trying to pay their student loans." And
Senator Warren called these policies "wrong and counterproductive."
I say Hurray to Representative
Julie Emerson of Louisiana and Senators Rubio and Warren for trying to mitigate
the harsh and iniquitous treatment of student-loan debtors. And hurray to UL System President Jim
Henderson, who articulated the voice of reason and compassion on behalf of Louisiana college students.
Representative Julie Emerson: Louisiana legislator |
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