Editor’s note: An issue that could have a significant impact on what past and current college students owe has become strangled amid a tug of war between Republlicans and Democrats. President Joe Biden announced details of his Student Loan Relief Plan last August, which drew immediate opposition from many Republicans. Today, the decision on whether to allow the plan to move forward is in the hands of the Supreme Court, and experts are skeptical that body will give its OK.

Members of The Spartan were asked to provide an At a Glance that brings students up to date on where the proposal stands.

By Karisma Boyd

SINCE 2020, President Biden has been campaigning for a student debt loan plan that could help millions of Americans seek higher education at an appropriate cost. But since then, the progress has fallen short as the government continues to be divided.

With the cost of postsecondary education continuing to increase every year, the support for federal aid has not.

President Joe Biden has made addressing the student loan crisis a priority of his administration. As part of his effort to alleviate the burden of student debt on millions of Americans, President Biden has proposed a student loan forgiveness program.

The Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program is aimed at providing relief to those who are struggling with student loan debt. The proposal includes a number of different measures to help alleviate the burden of student loan debt, including the following:

1. Forgiveness of up to $10,000 in student loan debt for all borrowers: Under this proposal, all borrowers with federal student loan debt would have up to $10,000 of their debt forgiven.

2. Forgiveness of up to $50,000 in student loan debt for borrowers with low incomes: Borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year ($250,000 for married couples) and who have federal student loan debt would be eligible for up to $50,000 in debt forgiveness.

3. Expansion of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program: The PSLF program currently forgives the remaining balance of federal student loans for borrowers who work in qualifying public service jobs for 10 years. The Biden administration has proposed expanding this program to include more borrowers and to shorten the forgiveness timeline to five years.

4. Simplification of the income-driven repayment (IDR) plans: The IDR plans allow borrowers to make payments based on their income, and any remaining debt is forgiven after 20 or 25 years of payments. The Biden administration has proposed simplifying these plans to make them easier to understand and navigate.

These measures are designed to provide significant relief to the millions of Americans who are struggling with student loan debt.

By forgiving a portion of borrowers’ debt and simplifying the repayment process, the Biden administration hopes to make it easier for individuals to manage their debt and make progress toward their financial goals.

However, it’s worth noting that the student loan forgiveness program proposed by the Biden administration is not without its critics.

It’s been argued that this kind of debt relief could encourage borrowers to file for more loans under the guise of being able to relieve the majority. With this in mind, some state representatives found this motivation to be concerning as the U.S. borrowing debt has reached its cap.

The House GOP introduced a new bill April 17 to shadow the Student Loan Forgiveness program along with combating the U.S debt ceiling (when the government reaches its limit on borrowing money to pay for expenses).

Speaker Kevin McCarthy unveiled the plan as a way to increase government spending, meaning, more borrowing from other countries. But it wouldn’t be without a cost.

The debt raise proposal also means several cuts in federal programs such as welfare, Social Security and public institutions that rely on government funding.

Meanwhile, student loan debt is a crisis that has plagued the economy. As it grows every year, student debt contributes $1.7 trillion to the United States’ $26.1 trillion total. A total of 43.8 million borrowers have federal student loan debt, according to educationdata.org.

And although both issues are important, it’ll come down to what representatives in Congress see as an urgency.

Despite these criticisms, the Biden administration is moving forward with its student loan forgiveness program, and many Americans are hopeful that it will provide the relief they need to get out from under the burden of student loan debt.

As the details of the program are finalized, it will be important to stay informed about the eligibility requirements and the application process to take advantage of the relief that may be available.

With $1.7 trillion of federal loans contributing to the national debt, the average student working for a bachelor’s degree acquires a median of $34,000, according to educationdata.org.

Karisma Boyd is a junior majoring in Mass Communications.

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