Under Texas Penal Code 32.52(b)(1)(C), it is a misdemeanour to claim to have a degree (for purposes of employment/etc) if that degree has been revoked. So, if some law was to say that bankruptcy discharge of student loan resulted in degree revocation, and that law applied to you and you knew about it, then it would be a misdemeanour to use that degree in Texas.
Does this violate the 1st Amendment? As far as I'm aware, that provision of the Texas Penal Code has never been struck down on First Amendment grounds.
Probably not if applied extremely narrowly. (If you tried to prosecute someone for saying that they had earned the degree but has it revoked for non-payment of debt, it probably would violate the 1A.)
But, more to the point, that would only matter for most practical purposes for bachelor's degrees (and sometimes for more advanced degrees) if the degree was revoked before one had any substantial record of experienced based on it, since beyond entry level positions most positions rely on a pattern of experience to which a bachelor's degree is a typical (though often not exclusive) entryway, not the degree itself.
IANAL but I sounds like it would depend on what "use that degree" means. Applying to a position that requires that degree? That seems a clear violation. Mentioning on your CV that your degree was revoked due to bankruptcy? That's not exactly claiming you have a degree, and it's definitely not a lie in any form. Can the government really prevent you from telling the truth about your education?
I suspect most companies wouldn't really care if your degree was revoked or not (unless it was revoked for cheating or other non financial reasons)
Does this violate the 1st Amendment? As far as I'm aware, that provision of the Texas Penal Code has never been struck down on First Amendment grounds.
https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-32-52.htm...