A major development in the legal battle surrounding President Biden’s massive student loan forgiveness proposal is set to take place next week when the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments to determine the proposal’s fate.
Immediately after Biden unveiled his comprehensive plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt for Americans, members of conservative organizations and states that support the Republican Party challenged the idea in court.
Through the administrations of Trump and Biden — following the onset of COVID — the suspension of student loan interest and payments have been a trending topic. Biden’s administration promised the cancellation of up to $20,000 in students’ loans.
Since the Biden administration brought this to the attention of students at institutions around the country, they have been eager if not desperate former debt forgiveness.
Many Republicans opposed the proposal and believe it should be rejected.
Malik Gary, a Tallahassee Community College graduate and leader of the Tallahassee Dream Defenders, is an ardent supporter of Biden’s proposal.
“Tallahassee Dream Defenders are traveling while we rally and support the student loan application,” he said. “We want people to get their loans forgiven and our end goal is for college to be free. The Supreme Court will rule on will it be continued or will they strike it down.”
Students from Florida A&M University are impatiently anticipating the outcome as they head to Washington, DC, to hear whether it will be discontinued or not because it could have a positive impact on their future.
The U.S. Department of Education announced the most recent extension to the suspension of federal student loan payments in November, stating that payments would restart 60 days following the resolution of the legal dispute over its student loan forgiveness program.
Following President Biden’s proposal, his political rivals swiftly brought lawsuits to stop the much-needed relief. As a result, almost 26 million borrowers — including 16 million who have been formally accepted for relief — remain in limbo.
“As a graduate of FAMU who has taken out student loans to help with my education, this hearing could have a profound impact on my life because I intend to start law school soon,” Jewel Crouch said.
Cancelling student loans is essential to undo the damage caused by years of poor management, she added.
Students nationwide are hoping for a positive outcome after waiting months for a final decision by the Supreme Court.