Student Debt

what we know Apr. 12, 2024

Biden Touts $1.2 Billion in Student Loan Relief With Eye to 2024

What to Know About the New Student-Loan-Forgiveness PlansBiden’s relief measures and proposals are good news for borrowers — if you can figure out their looming deadlines and complexity.

By Lynnley Browning, Nia Prater, and Chas Danner

student debt Oct. 5, 2023

Student Debtors Deserve More From Their GovernmentAfter a three-year pause, loan repayments are back with a vengeance. Biden can — and should — do more.

By Sarah Jones

liveblog July 1, 2023

Fallout From SCOTUS Affirmative Action, Student-Loan Decisions: Live UpdatesWe’re tracking the news and commentary regarding the controversial decisions and what impact they may have.

By Chas Danner

student debt June 30, 2023

Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Student-Debt Relief PlanThe 6-3 decision arrives one day after the Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions.

By Bindu Bansinath

student loans Mar. 6, 2023

Why the Supreme Court Might Uphold Student-Debt ReliefAlso, why it may not.

By Eric Levitz

power Feb. 28, 2023

Dreaming of Student-Debt ReliefEight people on what President Biden’s loan-forgiveness plan would mean for them.

By Rainesford Stauffer

early and often Oct. 22, 2022

Biden’s Student-Debt Forgiveness Plan Gets Held Up by Appeals CourtThe Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked the Biden administration from discharging any of the debts until at least next week.

By Chas Danner

early and often Oct. 18, 2022

12 Million People Have Applied for Student-Debt Relief Since This WeekendBiden said the program’s website handled the many applications “without a glitch or any difficulty.”

By Nia Prater

student loans Sept. 29, 2022

How to Get Your Student Debt CanceledApplications for student-debt cancellation should be available in early October. The sooner you file, the better.

By Bindu Bansinath

the left Sept. 15, 2022

Why Can’t the Left Take the W?The perils of failing to claim Joe Biden’s victories as your own.

By Sam Adler-Bell

spicy! Aug. 26, 2022

The White House Twitter Account Has the ReceiptsAnd it’s not going to take Marjorie Taylor Greene’s anti-loan-forgiveness tirade lying down.

By Danielle Cohen

student debt Aug. 25, 2022

How Does Student-Debt Relief Affect Inflation?A debate is raging about how much $20,000 in debt amnesty could stoke inflation while the White House tries to keep the economy from imploding.

By Kevin T. Dugan

student loan forgiveness Aug. 24, 2022

What to Know About Biden’s Student-Debt PlanThe president announced he will cancel up to $10,000 in federal loan payments for Americans making under $125,000.

By Bindu Bansinath

2022 midterms July 26, 2022

Biden Might Finally Pull the Trigger on Student-Loan DebtThe president is reportedly considering partial student-loan amnesty to boost turnout among disillusioned young Democrats.

By Matt Stieb

early and often May 19, 2022

Debtors Can’t Wait for Biden to DitherIt’s been almost two years without permanent relief.

By Sarah Jones

politics Dec. 22, 2021

Thanks for Freezing Student Loan Payments. Now Cancel the Debt.The president can’t evade this problem forever.

By Sarah Jones

student debt Dec. 17, 2021

3 Ways Biden Can Aid Borrowers As Student Loan Repayment RestartsThe president can do a lot to relieve the debt burden. But it’s unclear whether he will.

By Eric Levitz

student debt Aug. 20, 2021

Has Biden Abandoned Wide-Scale Student-Loan Forgiveness?While Biden officially supports forgiving $10,000 of every borrower’s student debt, he appears more inclined to expand existing debt-relief programs.

By Eric Levitz

student debt Aug. 6, 2021

Biden Administration Extends Student Loan Payment Freeze to January 2022The Biden administration extended the pause on payments, which was set to expire at the end of September. It’s expected to be the final extension.

By Nia Prater

power June 2, 2021

This May Be the Best Commencement Speech EverDuring a recent graduation ceremony, an HBCU president told graduates that their student debt would be entirely erased.

By Mia Mercado

politics Mar. 26, 2021

‘I Will Be 55 Before I Am Fully Free’Five people on the high cost of not forgiving student-loan debt.

By Sarah Jones

power Feb. 25, 2021

Joe Biden Can Cancel All Student Debt. He Just Won’t.According to Astra Taylor of the Debt Collective and Philadelphia city-council member Kendra Brooks, he lacks the political will and the conviction.

By Bridget Read

student debt Feb. 17, 2021

Biden Reiterates Opposition to Forgiving $50,000 in Student DebtAt a town hall, Biden said he favors forgiving $10,000 of everyone’s student debt but only through an act of Congress.

By Eric Levitz

power Feb. 17, 2021

Biden’s Cowardly Answer on Student DebtHis own party wants him to cancel $50,000 per borrower. He refuses to even consider it.

By Bridget Read

2020 July 31, 2019

We Found Two Whole Women Who’d Qualify for Kamala Harris’s Student Debt PlanThe proposed policy attracted ridicule for how narrow its parameters are.

By Bridget Read

student debt June 26, 2019

Bernie’s Student Debt Plan Doesn’t Make Sense. Which Is Fine.Forgiving all student debt wouldn’t be a maximally progressive allocation of limited resources. But nothing Congress does ever is.

By Eric Levitz

education May 21, 2019

Robert Smith’s Morehouse Gift Is More Generous Than His VisionThe billionaire’s donation of $40 million to pay off the debt of Morehouse grads was a noble act of charity. But charity is not justice.

By Zak Cheney-Rice

student debt May 20, 2019

Billionaire Commencement Speaker Pledges to Pay Entire Class’s Student LoansNearly 400 Morehouse College seniors are graduating debt-free.

By Hannah Gold

elizabeth warren May 6, 2019

How Much Better Would Your Life Be With Elizabeth Warren’s Student-Debt Plan?Her campaign has rolled out a calculator to show you.

By Hannah Gold

Nov. 20, 2018

Would It Be Regressive to Cancel Everyone’s Student Debt?Forgiving all student debt would be a boon to the privileged. That doesn’t mean progressives shouldn’t promote the idea.

By Eric Levitz

student debt Aug. 28, 2018

Trump’s Student Debt Policies Are Mind-bogglingly CorruptThe government’s student-loan watchdog just resigned after realizing that Trump is committed to helping sham colleges fleece students and taxpayers.

By Eric Levitz

Mar. 25, 2018

This Democratic Senator Has a Plan to Make College Debt-Free for AllIf Brian Schatz’s vision is fully implemented, every American would have the option of pursuing a college degree without going into debt.

By Eric Levitz

Feb. 9, 2018

We Must Cancel Everyone’s Student Debt, for the Economy’s SakeFor the price of Trump’s tax cuts, the government could wipe out all student debt — and increase economic growth by $860 billion.

By Eric Levitz

July 6, 2017

18 States Sue Betsy DeVos for Refusing to Enforce Student-Loan ProtectionsThe Education secretary is blocking new rules that would make it easier for students defrauded by for-profit colleges to have their debts forgiven.

By Eric Levitz

Dec. 21, 2016

Unpaid Student Debt Is Already Pushing Seniors Into PovertyTo collect on student-loan debt, the government reduced the Social Security checks of 114,000 Americans last year.

By Eric Levitz

Sept. 23, 2016

Trump Stumbles on Good Idea: Take Away Harvard’s Tax BreaksThe Republican nominee suggests wealthy universities should have to pay taxes on their endowments.

By Eric Levitz

July 6, 2016

Hillary Clinton Embraces Free Public College (for the Non-Wealthy)Clinton’s new plan would provide free tuition at public colleges for students from families that make under $125,000 a year. Bernie Sanders is pleased.

By Eric Levitz

encounter May 17, 2015