Private colleges in California spent over 20 years using a state agency to seize citizens' tax refunds to pay off small-dollar school debts without any legal authorization.
March 31, 2026
Original Paper
Little Hoover Commission Hearing on Student Institutional Debt in California 
SSRN · 6471119
The Takeaway
The study reveals a decades-long administrative 'glitch' where the state’s tax-intercept power was essentially handed over to private entities for unauthorized debt collection. It highlights how institutional debt can be weaponized against vulnerable populations through administrative oversight rather than actual law.
From the abstract
This testimony examines student institutional debt in California, focusing on how the interaction between the federal Return of Title IV Funds process and discretionary institutional refund policies generates post-withdrawal balances that fall disproportionately on financially vulnerable students. It surveys collection mechanisms — including administrative holds, third-party collectors, and the Franchise Tax Board's Interagency Intercept Collection Program — and presents original findings, drawn