Remember "redlining"? 

Financial institutions used to discriminate against the poor and people of color by simply refusing to offer mortgages and insurance in certain neighborhoods, irrespective of a client's creditworthiness and ability to pay.  It was an unethical and abusive and predatory practice that has since been curbed through legislation such as the federal Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. 

In an article entitled "Student Loans Start to Bypass 2-Year Colleges", today's New York Times reports:  "Some of the nation’s biggest banks have closed their doors to students at community colleges, for-profit universities and other less competitive institutions, even as they continue to extend federally backed loans to students at the nation’s top universities."  www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/business/02loans.html?ref=todayspaper

What makes this new redlining all the more disgusting is that student loans generally are very difficult to discharge in bankruptcy.  In other words -- lenders ALREADY have minimal risk of defaults on student loans!  They don't HAVE to resort to "student redlining"!

Attention bankers:  okay, credit is tight just now.  Ration if you must.  Exit the student loan market if you prefer.  But do not DARE cherry pick students!   Do not DARE "redline" community college students!