FRANKFORT, Ky.-- The 'Keep Americans Working Act of 2019' went into effect on Thursday. The legislation-turned-law, House Bill 118, aims to keep college graduates with occupational licenses from losing those licenses- and their jobs- because of defaulting on student loans. 

Policy Analyst with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, Ashley Spalding, considers it a good thing. "What this bill does is, it does not address college affordability. But it does mitigate the harms that people face when they end up with a lot of student debt," says Spalding.

Spalding advocates with others for more affordable college in Kentucky. Some students have dropped out because of the price of education, together with the increasing debt.

Victoria Carrier is one former University of Louisville student who did. "I just got to the point where if I don't have any defined career plans and the place I'm working at right now I had a lot of opportunities at, I was just kind of weighing my costs and said I need to step back from school," Carrier explains. 

Although she is not one the new law would benefit, she sees it as a positive thing. Carrier has her fingers crossed for federal legislation to forgive student loans.