That's not entirely true either. They can attack your licensure if you aren't current on your student loans. And for certain high-scholastic-debt careers, also

That's not entirely true either. They can attack your licensure if you aren't current on your student loans. And for certain high-scholastic-debt careers, also makes you lose your job, and therefore further ability to pay said loans. The scary part is the revocation doesn't have to be for the degree the loan was for. For example, if you tried being a lawyer, and couldn't find a job, you look elsewhere. You decide to join the pipefitters and steamfitters union for plumbing, which requires a license. Later on, the state can remove your license to practice plumbing. List of states with such laws on the books: http://www.jwj.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/State-Laws-and-Statutes-That-Suspend-Professional-Licenses-and-Certificates.pdf http://www.jwj.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/State-Laws-and... Bloomberg discussing the particulars of license revocation due to default: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-25/these-states-will-take-your-license-for-not-paying-student-loans http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-25/these-stat... Findlaw discussion: http://blogs.findlaw.com/greedy_associates/2015/04/defaulting-on-a-student-loan-can-cost-you-your-law-license.html http://blogs.findlaw.com/greedy_associates/2015/04/defaultin... ... But you still owe the loans, because even the private educational loans were also federally backed.