Headline RoundupJanuary 19th, 2024

What's the State of Student Loan Forgiveness?

Summary from the AllSides News Team

President Joe Biden pledged to cancel at least $10,000 in student debt relief for borrowers making less than $125,000 a year during his campaign. Where does that goal stand? 

The Details: The Supreme Court denied Biden's original goal of wiping roughly $430 billion in student debt last summer, but separate cancellation efforts have continued. The White House says more than $130 billion in student debt has been forgiven under Biden. On Friday, the Biden administration announced the cancellation of $5 billion more in student debt for 74,000 borrowers, mainly public servants. Next month, qualified borrowers who are enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) program will also have their debt erased. 

For Context: As of this writing, over 43 million U.S. borrowers hold a total of $1.63 trillion in student loan debt.

How the Media Covered It: Many left- and center-rated sources highlighted the recent forgiveness efforts. Conversely, few right-rated sources covered them, and The Washington Times (Lean Right bias) and Daily Wire (Right) highlighted a survey suggesting that some borrowers are skipping payments while holding out for more forgiveness.

Why the Difference: People on the political right are generally less supportive of what they see as unfair or excessive debt forgiveness programs. People on the left are typically more supportive of what they see as efforts to relieve undue financial strain on borrowers.

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