When Unpaid Student Loan Bills Mean You Can No Longer Work (NYT) [View all]

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/18/business/student-loans-licenses.html
When Unpaid Student Loan Bills Mean You Can No Longer Work
Twenty states suspend people’s professional or driver’s licenses if they fall behind on loan payments, according to records obtained by The New York Times.
By JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG, STACY COWLEY and NATALIE KITROEFF | NOV. 18, 2017

Fall behind on your student loan payments, lose your job.

Few people realize that the loans they take out to pay for their education could eventually derail their careers. But in 19 states, government agencies can seize state-issued professional licenses from residents who default on their educational debts. Another state, South Dakota, suspends driver’s licenses, making it nearly impossible for people to get to work.

As debt levels rise, creditors are taking increasingly tough actions to chase people who fall behind on student loans. Going after professional licenses stands out as especially punitive.

Firefighters, nurses, teachers, lawyers, massage therapists, barbers, psychologists and real estate brokers have all had their credentials suspended or revoked.