White House Extends Student Loan Payment Pause Again

The Biden administration will again extend the pause on federal student loan debt payments, this time from January to June 2023.

Key Quotes: "It isn't fair to ask tens of millions of borrowers eligible for relief to resume their student debt payments while the courts consider the lawsuits," so the Secretary of Education "is extending the pause on student loan payments while we seek relief from the court," Biden said Tuesday. In a tweet, the White House said that the "pause will end no later than June 30, 2023," and that payments "will resume 60 days after the pause ends."

For Context: It’s the eighth time that the COVID-19 pandemic-era pause will be extended. Federal student loan payments have been halted for roughly 40 million borrowers since March 2020. Meanwhile, Biden's student loan forgiveness plan is held up by legal challenges. The payment pause will end either 60 days after the Supreme Court issues a decision on the forgiveness program, or 60 days after June 30, depending on which date comes first.

How the Media Covered It: Right-rated sources focused more on estimates that suggest Biden's loan forgiveness plan will cost up to $400 billion, and some placed those projections in the context of the national debt hitting a new all-time high in October. Some left-rated sources focused more on arguments from the Education Department and student debt activists about why extending the pause was the right move, especially around the holidays.