CBA Record April-May 2018

Chicago Bar Foundation Report

The Student Debt Crisis: An Access to Justice Crisis

By Angela Inzano, CBF ProgramManager T he amount of student debt in the United States has exploded over the past two decades as average tuitions at all levels of higher education have risen at rates well above the inflation rate. Evidence exists that the relatively easy availability of government and private educational loans is simultaneously fueling both of these trends. Moreover, there are increas- ingly dire consequences for the growing number of graduates struggling with often mortgage-sized debts and increasing risks for taxpayers if these loans go unpaid. Beyond the direct challenges for those lawyers experiencing this reality firsthand, the student debt crunch is also a broader access to justice problem. As higher educa- tion costs and debt continue to grow, they weigh heavily on new lawyers pursuing legal aid, public service and other socially conscious legal careers. The federal Public Service Loan For- giveness program and several income- based repayment (IBR) programs for federally backed student loans have made legal careers viable for thousands of dedicated lawyers who otherwise would have to take a different path due to the financial challenges. The Chicago Bar Foundation has long prioritized these programs in our advocacy efforts as a critical part of recruiting and

Representatives from the CBF and other Illinois organizations recently advocated on access to justice issues at ABA Day in Washington, D.C. From left to right: Greg Boyle, Dave Saunders, TomPanoff, Jessica Bednarz, Maja Eaton, Emily Roschek, Senator Richard Durbin, Terry Dee, John Levi, IV Ashton, Chuck Smith, Bob Glaves, Angela Inzano, and Dick O’Malley

Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) recently requested public comments for consideration. The CBF submitted our initial recommendations for resolving the student debt crisis in a comprehensive and sustainable way that preserves these critical loan repayment and forgiveness programs. We believe the following principles are fundamental to reaching a more compre- hensive solution:

retaining dedicated lawyers who play a key role in access to justice here and through- out the country. Over the past two years, we have been working with legislators and other partners to incorporate these pro- grams into a more comprehensive solution to our nation’s student debt crisis. Congress recently began considering reauthorization of the federal Higher Education Act, which among other things will address student debt and related issues. The Senate Committee on Health,

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