Gov. Pritzker Stands Up for Students with UIC, Young Invincibles
‘Standing Up for Illinois’ tour continues as Trump approaches 100 days in office
April 28, 2025
CHICAGO- Today, Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton joined students, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) leadership, the Project on Predatory Student Lending, and the non-profit Young Invincibles for a rally in support of students and student loan borrowers across Illinois. Continuing the ‘Standing Up for Illinois’ tour, the Governor joined education leaders and students in calling attention to the harmful impact of Trump’s dangerous education agenda while pledging support for the Illinoisans and Illinois institutions that are under attack.
“The dream of an affordable, accessible education as a pathway to a better life – one that was already out of reach for too many – is under attack by the Trump administration,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Student borrowers were made promises that are being rescinded. Education cannot just be a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. When we open up pathways to education for all, it makes our communities stronger, and we all do better.”
“There is a college affordability crisis in America, and Donald Trump wants to pour gas on the fire to make college even more out of reach for millions of students,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Canceling loan forgiveness for public service and limiting income driven repayment plans would cement higher education as a privilege reserved for the wealthy. We must stand up for student borrowers by fighting back against the Trump administration and work to make education affordable and accessible for all.”
The rally included testimonies from a number of current and former Illinois students, discussing the real impacts of Trump’s policies on their loan repayment options. The Project on Predatory Student Lending (PPSL), the leading legal organization representing student borrowers; Hope Chicago; and Young Invincibles—a non-profit organization working to amplify the voices of young adults and expand economic opportunity—also participated in the rally, calling for the federal government to enforce student protections and make college and loan repayment more affordable.
Since the Trump Administration took office, many critical student protections and affordable loan repayment options have been threatened. On April 29, the Administration will launch negotiated rulemaking, which could lead to harmful changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness and increased student loan payments at a time when costs are up across the country. These actions by the federal government could impact the 1.6 million student borrowers that live in Illinois, most prominently the 52% of student borrowers under the age of 35. On average, these student borrowers carry nearly $40,000 in debt and are relying on the repayment options and consumer protections the federal government offered when they took out these loans to advance their educational and career goals.
Recent actions that threaten student borrowers include:
- Announcing plans to move the student loan portfolio from the Department of Education (DOE) to the Small Business Administration (SBA), after reducing SBA staff by 43%.
- Reducing staff at the U.S. Department of Education, which could hamper the agency’s ability to process payments or manage potential increases in defaults as students enter repayment without adequate support.
- Halting investigations on student loan issues and firing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) student loan ombudsman.
- Signing an executive order limiting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program for individuals that work for non-profits.
Additionally, last week, the Trump Administration announced a number of additional executive orders targeting students across the country, including but not limited to:
- Threatening to revoke federal funding from universities that fail to comply with the administration’s latest disclosure requirements (including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies and foreign funding details) which could lead to elimination of critical scholarships, supports, and programs.
- Targeting college accreditors that incorporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion standards of accreditation.
- Signing an executive order to federally reshape school discipline policy, criticizing policies that address disproportionate impacts on students of color.
“The University of Illinois Chicago is committed to providing every student with an accessible and affordable pathway to earn a degree – and then place into a good job. We stand alongside Governor Pritzker and all those who believe that expanding access to higher education is one of the best investments we can make for our students, our communities, and our nation,” said UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda.
The Trump Administration’s attack on student loan borrowers will not only make the attainable American Dream less unattainable, but it also threatens to ruin the financial futures of countless families,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. “The fact is hardworking student borrowers built their lives based on the promises our federal government made to them. This reckless policy will destabilize and disrupt livelihoods and have far-reaching consequences for our already precarious economy.”
“Young people have been told their whole lives to pursue the American Dream and that getting a degree was the best path for the future - they followed that advice and are now being crushed by it," said Erick Deshaun Dorris, Midwest Regional Director at Young Invincibles. "The administration’s attacks on student debt relief, higher education funding, access, and opportunity will harm students and borrowers and inevitably make education less affordable. Education is a gateway to economic opportunity and future success, yet the very foundation of that gateway is being eroded, betraying the promises made to young adults.”
"Higher education is supposed to be a path to economic opportunity, not a lifelong financial burden, but that is the reality for millions of borrowers who are cheated by predatory schools whose purpose is to profit off the student loan system," said Eileen Connor, President and Executive Director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending. "We are grateful to Governor Pritzker for bringing attention to this issue and standing up for borrowers, especially at a time when critical consumer protections like borrower defense are under attack."
“We must do everything we can to ensure all families have the opportunity to develop their talents and contribute to the industries, economies, and communities of the future—this is the American dream,” said Janice K. Jackson, CEO of Hope Chicago. “At Hope Chicago, we’ve seen time and time again that removing the financial barriers to postsecondary pathways makes that American dream a reality. Our government agencies must support and expand programs that make college and career training more affordable for families, not less.”
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