For too many Americans, a ticket to the middle class remains out of reach because of unmanageable student loan debt. Working with President Biden and Vice President Harris, we have made significant progress in providing student loan debt relief to people all across the country and continue to work to provide relief and make education more accessible.
Student Financial Aid Options
Federal Student Aid provides a variety of life-changing resources that can make college more affordable. You can learn more about these programs and offerings below:
In April, President Biden proposed a new plan that would cancel the full amount of student debt for four million Americans, fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million people with student debt and provide more than 10 million borrowers at least $5,000 in relief. These actions are expected to provide significant relief to those in debt who are Black and Latino, attended community college or never had the chance to complete their degree.
According to the White House, the Biden-Harris administration has now approved nearly $153 billion in student debt cancellation for over four million borrowers.
Debt Relief for As Many Borrowers as Possible, as Fast as Possible
In April, President Biden proposed a new plan that would cancel the full amount of student debt for four million Americans, fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million people with student debt and provide more than 10 million borrowers at least $5,000 in relief. These actions are expected to provide significant relief to those in debt who are Black and Latino, attended community college or never had the chance to complete their degree.
According to the White House, the Biden-Harris administration has now approved nearly $153 billion in student debt cancellation for over four million borrowers.
Student Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
In certain situations, you can have your federal student loans forgiven, canceled, or discharged. That means you won’t have to pay back some or all of your loans
Some of the most common ways to qualify for student loan forgiveness are:
- Through the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program
- Through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
- If you have a disability
- Through the Income-Driven Repayment program if you’ve been in repayment for 20 or 25 years.
Learn more about student loan forgiveness and options that may be available to you here.
SAVE Repayment Plan
The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan is the newest income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. Like other IDR plans, the SAVE Plan calculates your monthly payment amount based on your income and family size.
All student borrowers in repayment are eligible to enroll in the SAVE plan. They will be able to enroll later this summer, before any monthly payments are due. Borrowers who sign up or are already signed up for the current Revised Pay as You Earn (REPAYE) plan will be automatically enrolled in SAVE once the new plan is implemented. Learn more about the SAVE plan here.
On-Ramp Payment Eligibility
If you are not eligible for student loan forgiveness but were eligible for the COVID-19 payment pause program, you are automatically eligible for the on-ramp repayment program. A temporary on-ramp period through Sept. 30, 2024 prevents the worst consequences of missed, late, or partial payments, including negative credit reporting for delinquent payments for twelve months. Learn more about this option here.
To learn more about Federal Student Aid, student loan forgiveness and debt relief options that may be available to you, please visit StudentAid.Gov.
If you need any assistance, contact my office. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you are having any problems with a government agency, including regarding student loans or accessing Federal Student Aid.