Indiana’s targeting of degrees with low earnings could eliminate these programs

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(CHALKBEAT INDIANA) — Indiana lawmakers are moving to eliminate state college degrees that aren’t earning graduates enough on the job market, mirroring the federal government’s targeting of career programs delivering poor results.

SB 199 appears to only apply to a handful of degrees at nonprofit institutions like Ball State, Indiana University, and Ivy Tech, according to data on low-earning programs released by the U.S. Department of Education.

The legislation requires state colleges and universities to eliminate low-earning degrees as defined by the federal Higher Education Act, unless the state Commission for Higher Education grants an exemption.

This means graduates of bachelor programs must have earnings above those of a typical high school graduate, or around $33,000 in Indiana, for the program to keep operating and to receive federal student loan funding under corresponding federal changes. A similar standard applies to graduate programs.

SB 199 aims to prevent students from taking out loans to attend programs that will make it difficult to pay back those loans — or to earn a living, supporters said.