With a whopping $1.5 trillion in outstanding student loans, the United States of America is facing a bit of a crisis when it comes to paying for higher education. One in every four adults under the age of thirty is dealing with student debt that drastically impacts their lives. Graduates are struggling to buy homes and repay their debt, and many are putting off their payments until they feel more financially stable. 

However, if you live in Texas, skipping your student loan payments might not be an option. The state currently holds the right to ban teachers, nurses, dentists, and other professional license holders from renewing their licenses if they have fallen behind on their loan payments. This threating consequence was designed to push people to continuously tackle the $70 billion of student loans held by Texas citizens.

The practice has ignited passionate discussions throughout the state. Many people feel that taking away workers' licenses is counterproductive since the lack of future income further prevents them from being able to repay the loans. Thousands of professionals in Texas are at risk of losing their professional licenses in 2018, and many of those at-risk workers are nurses and teachers, both of which are desperately needed by the public. 

Others view this ban as a similar punishment to seizing tax refunds or filing lawsuits against delinquent borrowers. They argue that this is the push some people need to buckle down and repay what is owed. 

No matter what side of the argument you stand on, one thing is clear: Texas is taking the issue of unresolved student debt seriously, and if you don't stay on top of your payment plan, you can face big consequences as a licensed worker. For the full story on this subject from The Texas Tribune, click here. 


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