Yang Rohr Aims to Reduce Student Loan Debt, Ensure Success for Students

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – To help address the increasing student loan debt crisis, state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, recently sponsored legislation that would prohibit for-profit higher education institutions from continuing any program or degree where the estimated student loan debt severely exceeds the expected annual salary.

“Career colleges serve as an important steppingstone for individuals looking for high-quality jobs with sustaining wages, but more often than not, people are left with debilitating amounts of student loan debt,” said Yang Rohr. “Now more than ever, with the extreme financial burden that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused families and individuals, we must hold these higher education institutions more accountable to improve student outcomes.”

Yang Rohr is a co-sponsor of House Bill 3207, which would require the Illinois Board of Higher Education to adopt rules to prevent nonpublic, for-profit institutions of higher education from enrolling students in programs or degrees for careers in which a student’s higher education loan repayment will exceed 20% of the graduate’s total annual income or 8% of the graduate’s total monthly income.

“Students deserve to know before they make a decision on a college program or university that they will be able to find a career that pays enough to offer a return on their investment,” said Yang Rohr. “I am pleased to support this important piece of legislation, and will continue working to make college more affordable and accessible for all.”