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Biden administration vows to fix a student loan forgiveness program

Connecticut Public Radio | By John Henry Smith
Published October 6, 2021 at 5:51 PM EDT
In this Sept. 30, 2021, file photo, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Biden administration is moving to relax the rules for a student loan forgiveness program that has been criticized for its notoriously complex requirements. The change could offer debt relief to thousands of teachers, social workers, military members and other public servants. The Education Department says it will temporarily drop some of the toughest requirements around the program, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which was launched in 2007 to steer more college graduates into public service. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)
Greg Nash/AP
/
Pool The Hill
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 30, 2021. The Biden administration is moving to relax the rules of a student loan forgiveness program that's been criticized for its notoriously complex requirements. The change could offer debt relief to thousands of teachers, social workers, military members and other public servants.

The Biden administration says it’s taking steps to fix an embattled student loan forgiveness program.

The Department of Education says the fixes will immediately erase $1.7 billion of debt for 22,000 borrowers. An additional 27,000 borrowers could get $2.8 billion in debt relief if they can prove employment in an eligible job.

These would be significant steps forward for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program that -- in 14 years of existence -- has erased the debt of a mere 5,500 borrowers nationwide.

Over that time, reports are that many borrowers who didn’t qualify went years thinking they did qualify, until they were told otherwise.

Joining “All Things Considered” to talk more about this was Bruce Adams, president and CEO of the Credit Union League of Connecticut.
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John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith is Connecticut Public’s host of All Things Considered, its flagship afternoon news program. He's proud to be a part of the team that won a regional Emmy Award for The Vote: A Connecticut Conversation. In his 21st year as a professional broadcaster, he’s covered both news and sports.
See stories by John Henry Smith

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

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Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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