Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation v. Pamela L. Hood

Decided May 17, 2004. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 02-1606 · 541 U.S. 440 (2004) · Cited 300 times

Holding

Because the Bankruptcy Court’s discharge of a student loan debt does not implicate a State’s Eleventh Amendment immunity, this Court does not reach the question on which certiorari was granted.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 7–2.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Federal Maritime Commission v. South Carolina State Ports Authority · 535 U.S. 743 (2002)
• Missouri v. Fiske · 290 U.S. 18 (1933)
• Gardner v. New Jersey · 329 U.S. 565 (1947)
• Van Huffel v. Harkelrode · 284 U.S. 225 (1931)
• California v. Deep Sea Research, Inc. · 523 U.S. 491 (1998)
• United States v. Nordic Village, Inc. · 503 U.S. 30 (1992)
• Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida · 517 U.S. 44 (1996)
• Ex Parte State of New York, No. 1 · 256 U.S. 490 (1921)
• Edelman v. Jordan · 415 U.S. 651 (1974)
• Board of Trustees of Univ. of Ala. v. Garrett · 531 U.S. 356 (2001)
• Caterpillar Inc. v. Lewis · 519 U.S. 61 (1996)
• Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority v. Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. · 506 U.S. 139 (1993)
• Alden v. Maine · 527 U.S. 706 (1999)
• Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents · 528 U.S. 62 (2000)
• Idaho v. Coeur D'Alene Tribe of Idaho · 521 U.S. 261 (1997)
• Employees of Department of Public Health v. Department of Public Health · 411 U.S. 279 (1973)
• Great Northern Life Insurance Co. v. Read · 322 U.S. 47 (1944)
• Liverpool, New York & Philadelphia Steamship Co. v. Commissioners of Emigration · 113 U.S. 33 (1885)
• Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank · 527 U.S. 627 (1999)
• Florida Department of State v. Treasure Salvors, Inc. · 458 U.S. 670 (1982)
• Hoffman v. Connecticut Department of Income Maintenance · 492 U.S. 96 (1989)
• Straton v. New · 283 U.S. 318 (1931)
• Raygor v. Regents of the University of Minnesota · 534 U.S. 533 (2002)
• The Siren · 74 U.S. 152 (1869)
• Freeman v. Alderson · 119 U.S. 185 (1886)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Central Virginia Community College v. Katz · 546 U.S. 356 (2006)
• United Student Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa · 559 U.S. 260 (2010)
• Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. · 603 U.S. 204 (2024)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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William Hubbs Rehnquist’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2004). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).