IL HR0774

Urges Governor JB Pritzker and public and private universities in Illinois to allow students with past due debt to re-enroll and finish their degrees instead of placing account holds.

Requests the U.S. Department of Education rescind its 1998 "Dear Colleague" letter that encouraged colleges to withhold transcripts for loan defaults.

Encourages Congress to urge the U.S. Department of Education to rescind the 1998 guidance on transcript withholding.

Addresses that approximately 6.6 million students nationwide owed up to $15 billion in unpaid college debts as of 2018, with holds disproportionately affecting students of color and low-income students.

Notes that 95 percent of colleges withhold transcripts, with 64 percent placing holds for balances under $25, leaving millions of students unable to transfer credits or pursue employment opportunities.