The College Cost Reduction and Access Act

Government Printing Office

This bill became Public Law 110-84 on Oct. 1. Like all federal legislation, it is immensely complicated. Reading new laws is like reading a science textbook: you end up having to refer to another textbook (if you can find it) to know what it's talking about, and then you have to refer to another textbook to figure out what the second textbook is talking about, and so on.

At the moment I have no way of knowing how it will affect me or, basically, anyone else in this country. However, it does talk about student loan forgiveness for public service employees, and it includes library science students in that category.

I would encourage you to read the whole bill and try to find someone who can make some sense of it. I plan to do that, and will report back to you on what I find out. In the meantime, here is what I believe to be the pertinent language for anyone pursuing or considering pursuing an advanced degree in library science:

TITLE IV--LOAN FORGIVENESS

SEC. 401. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES.

``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall cancel the balance of
interest and principal due, in accordance with paragraph (2), on
any eligible Federal Direct Loan not in default for a borrower
who--

``(B)(i) is employed in a public service job at the
time of such forgiveness;

``(B) Public service job.--The term `public service
job' means--
``(i) a full-time job in . . .
public library sciences, school-based library
sciences and other school-based services . . . . more