Thousands Weigh In on Biden’s Debt Relief Plan

Inside Higher Ed

Katherine Knott

May 20, 2024

The Biden administration’s latest plan to forgive all or some of nearly 28 million Americans’ student loans would provide much-needed relief to borrowers, hundreds said during a public-comment period that closed Friday. But many others argued the proposal amounts to an unfair gambit designed to help the president win the 2024 election.

“This ‘Student Debt Relief Program’ is a slap in the face to myself and all who went to college and repaid their loans in full,” wrote Eric Nickles. “It is clearly a ploy by the current administration to buy votes.”

Debates over President Biden’s debt relief policies have raged throughout his first term in office, but this public-comment period, which ended Friday, marked one of the few times in the past year that members of the public have had a chance to directly sound off on the polices. The end of the comment period paves the way for the Education Department to finalize the regulations and start forgiving loans. President Biden has said that borrowers could see relief by early fall, though legal challenges are likely and could disrupt that timeline.

Before the regulations can be finalized, though, the Education Department has to review and respond to each of the comments. As of Friday night, the department had received more than 65,000 comments, though fewer than 6,000 had been publicly posted.

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