Hatcher pushes back against predatory student debt collection practices

Following a personal experience, State Rep. Ragen Hatcher (D-Gary) today issued the following statement regarding predatory student debt collection practices:

“As the mother of two college-aged children, I know first-hand how crippling debt can be following a student post-graduation or when students attempt to transfer to a different campus. When young Hoosiers start the process of enriching their education with a college degree, most are still minors. Many have never had a full-time job or paid large bills. It is misguided that we expect these teenagers to understand the true weight of what they are taking on. 

 “When students have debts that they can’t pay – whether those debts are due to a lost scholarship or a lack of student loans – they often aren’t able to enroll for the next semester or get their transcripts to transfer to another school. This often leads students to drop out or prolong their academic careers because they aren’t able to enroll full-time. 

“We need to do everything we can to help students move forward by requiring schools to release transcripts if students have entered into payment plans and ensure that students know the risks of taking on costs before starting college. As a state legislator, I plan to do anything and everything I can to combat predatory student debt collection practices that harm students and impair their ability to obtain an education.”

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