Bill would permanently bar campus protesters from student loan forgiveness
S. 937 — No Student Loans for Campus Criminals Act · Filed by Tom Cotton (R-AR) · Introduced Mar 11, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill bars anyone convicted of any federal or state crime related to conduct during a campus protest from receiving federal student loans or any form of loan forgiveness, cancellation, or modification. The ban applies retroactively to loans already issued and covers all federal student loan programs.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a categorical exclusion from federal student loan programs based on conviction for protest-related conduct. It functions as a collateral punishment targeting a specific class of citizens defined by their participation in campus protest activity.
What the text implies
- Retroactive application to loans already issued means borrowers who received loans before this law could lose forgiveness eligibility after conviction, creating a moving target for loan servicers and borrowers.
- The definition 'any offense under any Federal or State law related to conduct at and during the course of a protest' is extremely broad—it captures trespassing, disorderly conduct, vandalism, and potentially even minor infractions, not just violent crimes.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
federal government (reduced loan forgiveness obligations); student loan servicers (reduced forgiveness claims to process)