Student Rights

 HB 469/SB 446, sponsored by then Del. Shelly Hettleman and Sen. Paul Pinsky, stops schools from abruptly closing their doors overnight-leaving students stranded. This bill makes sure that schools’ have agreements with the Maryland Higher Education Commission in the event of a closure, discharges any debt a student owes to the institution, and allows students to easily access their academic records after a closure. This legislation will protect the more than 20,000 students enrolled in for-profit colleges in Maryland, as well as prospective students.

HB891/SB767, sponsored by Del. Debra Davis and Sen. Mary Washington, establishes the Hunger Free Campus Program and provides a budget allocation for the program, designates certain colleges Hunger Free campuses, requires a financial counselor on campus who can assist students in applying for food assistance (SNAP), establishes a food pantry or other way for students to access food in a stigma-free way and requires MHEC to establish a plan for meeting housing, food, and other basic needs insecurities in their next plan, and report on implementation and outcomes of the Hunger-Free campus program. This bill helps the more than 20% ...

HB216/SB155, sponsored by Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith and Sens. Mary Washington and Arthur Ellis, expands the number of youth eligible for a tuition waiver at a public university or community college; requires increased notification to prospective students about the waiver, mandates that these students have priority access to campus housing; and requires college financial aid offices to designate a liaison to work with these students to apply for state and federal aid.

HB 593 /SB 294, sponsored by Del. Pat Young and Sen. Arthur Ellis, protects veterans and foster youths from being targeted by for-profit schools for their federal student aid money. This bill closes the 90/10 loophole, which allows for-profits to receive 100% of their funding from the federal government . The passage of this bill makes Maryland the first state in the nation to stop predatory institutions from targeting vulnerable students for their education benefits.

HB385/SB560, sponsored by Del.  Mary Lehman and Sen. Brian Feldman, increases transparency for students and their parents or guardians about MEDCO housing and creates critical parity for students in MEDCO housing with students in housing owned by the University of Maryland system (UMS). This law ensures that students in MEDCO and university-owned housing will have the same lease-release protocols in case of a health or safety emergency.

SB 670/HB 594, led by Attorney General Frosh, creates a list of prohibited practices for student loan servicers. While a servicer is supposed to help a borrower safely and affordably repay a loan balance, this industry has well-documented practices of harming student loan borrowers and adding billions of dollars to the already massive student debt crisis. This bill will affect more than three-quarters of a million Maryland borrowers who owe more than $32 billion in student loan debt. It will help create clear guardrails for the 112,000 Maryland students who today are at least two student loan payments behind.

HB464/SB399, sponsored by Del. Shelly Hettleman and Sen. Paul Pinsky, requires private career schools and for-profit institutions to provide students with information on the placement rate for the program, capability for professional licensure on completion of the program, and median earnings of former students before the student signs an enrollment agreement or completes registration.

SB400/HB461, sponsored by Del. Shelly Hettleman and Sen. Paul Pinsky, made Maryland the first state in the nation to stop for-profit schools from pretending to convert to nonprofit status in order to skirt regulations put in place for these predatory high-debt, low-return schools. This legislation ensures that schools operating with for-profit interests – even if they are classified as nonprofits – are still treated as for-profit schools by our state regulators. By reworking these definitions, Maryland is making sure that schools receiving the benefits of a nonprofit status do not have a financial stake in exploiting students and do not ...

HB1103/SB795, sponsored by Del. Shelly Hettleman and Sen. Paul Pinsky, requires for-profit schools in Maryland (and certain online for-profit schools) to disclose information about a school’s costs, cancellation and refund policies, withdrawal rates, and completion rates. This information must be provided to prospective students before an individual signs an enrollment agreement, makes a financial commitment, or registers at the school.

SB427/HB741, sponsored by Sen. Paul Pinsky and Del. Dana Stein, prohibits a private career school or for-profit institution of higher education from enrolling a student in a program that is intended to lead to employment in a field that requires licensure or certification in the State. This expands for-profit school regulations, increases transparency, and creates a Guaranty Fund for Maryland students attending for-profit schools