The Biden administration announced Friday it plans to abandon its latest student loan forgiveness proposals, which aimed to erase debts for tens of millions of Americans and create new relief options for borrowers in financial distress.
The reasoning? The U.S. Department of Education cited limited time and resources, with its leadership prioritizing efforts to help at-risk borrowers manage their repayments. The proposals also faced the likelihood of further legal challenges and the possibility of being discarded once President-elect Donald Trump assumes office.
In official notices scheduled for publication on December 26, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona acknowledged the "uncertainty around the implementation" of the plans.
"At this time, the Department intends to commit its limited operational resources to helping at-risk borrowers return to repayment successfully," Cardona stated.
The decision effectively signals the end of one of President Joe Biden’s most ambitious efforts to address the nation’s student debt crisis. Advocates for borrowers expressed disappointment, calling it a missed opportunity to tackle an escalating issue. Meanwhile, conservative critics interpreted the reversal as an acknowledgment that the proposals were unrealistic from the start.
"The Biden-Harris administration’s student loan schemes were always a lie," said Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., in a statement. "Today’s decision confirms these schemes were nothing more than a dishonest attempt to buy votes by transferring debt onto taxpayers who never attended college or already paid off their loans."
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to dismantle the Department of Education entirely. As January draws closer, Education Department officials are rushing to protect key policies that they view as integral to Biden's legacy. The decision to withdraw the proposed student loan forgiveness regulations reflects the hard choices the administration faces with limited time and resources. While Biden succeeded in forgiving approximately $180 billion in student debt for around 5 million Americans, he fell short of delivering the broad relief he envisioned, largely due to legal and legislative hurdles.
Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, which represents loan servicers, noted that the administration’s move aligns with a broader strategy to safeguard federal regulations from being altered or dismantled by the incoming administration.
"The new administration could come in and change the language to whatever they want," Buchanan said.
The Education Department had spent years developing the regulations. Following extensive public debate, a panel of federal negotiators approved the wide-ranging proposals in February. One plan was unveiled in April with a promise of relief by fall 2024, while another was introduced just 11 days before the November election.
Both proposals will now be scrapped, according to Friday’s announcement.
