Under Illinois law, defaulting on student loan debt could jeopardize one’s occupational license. But a Senate bill would protect indebted workers from displacement.
Almost a quarter of Illinois workers need licenses to work in their professions, and workers who default on student loans can face the suspension of those licenses.
Illinois spends more money on retirement costs than on university operations – and tuition keeps rising to prop up this overspending. Instead of hiking taxes to maintain current spending habits in higher education, politicians should shift priorities from propping up six-figure administrators to keeping tuition affordable for students.
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...