Student Debt Relief Web Center
On August 24, 2022, the Department of Education announced a plan for one-time student loan debt relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal planned to cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 annually (or $250,000 annually as a family). Borrowers who received a Pell Grant while in college and also meet the income requirements would have been eligible for up to $20,000 in forgiveness.
Following months of legal challenges, the Biden Administration’s one-time debt relief program was blocked by the Supreme Court in a decision handed down on June 30, 2023. With student loan repayment resuming in October 2023, the Department of Education announced that it will pursue implementing debt relief initiatives through the negotiated rulemaking process, which may not be finalized until after the presidential election of 2024.
NASFAA has compiled the following resources for members and will continue to update this page as more guidance becomes available.
Student Debt Relief Efforts and Resumption of Repayment After the June 30, 2023, SCOTUS Decision
Today’s News Coverage
- *NEW* ED Releases Draft Rules to Provide Student Debt Relief for Subsets of Borrowers
- Biden’s Second Attempt at Student Debt Cancellation Gets an “Initial” Outline
- ED to Pause PSLF, TEACH Processing During 3-Month Transition Period
- States Sue to End Biden’s SAVE Repayment Plan
- Democratic Senators Introduce Legislation to Codify SAVE Repayment Plan
- Biden’s 2025 Budget Proposal Would Boost Pell, Eliminate Student Loan Origination Fees
- Consensus: Student Debt Relief Committee Agrees on Financial Hardship Language
- Student Loan Debt Negotiating Committee Reconvenes for Financial Hardship Discussion
- ED Unveils ‘Hardship’ Draft Text, Detailing New Effort to Carry Out Student Loan Debt Relief
- New Issue Brief: College Completion Crisis Fuels the Student Debt Crisis
- ED Announces Fourth Neg Reg Session to Provide Debt Relief for Borrowers Facing Financial Hardships
- NASFAA Shares Feedback with House Education Committee on College Cost Reduction Act
- Top Congressional Democrats Call on Biden Administration to Hold Fourth Neg Reg Session
- Part 3 Deep Dive: Foxx’s College Cost Reduction Act Includes Risk-Sharing Agreements, Transfer Student Support, and Regulatory Overhaul
- Part 2 Deep Dive: Foxx’s College Cost Reduction Act Includes Changes to Pell, Campus-Based Aid, and Loans
- House Republicans Demand Answers From Cardona on Student Loan Audit
- House GOP Pushes ED for Cost Estimate on Student Loan Debt Relief Proposals
- Federal Oversight on Student Loan Servicer Management Shows a Bumpy Transition for Student Loan Borrowers
- A Mixed Bag: Student Debt Relief Committee Does Not Reach Consensus On Multiple Proposals During Final Neg Reg Session
- Student Debt Relief Negotiators Discuss New Amendments in Third and Final Neg Reg Session
- ED Forgives $4.8 Billion in Student Loan Debt for Over 80,000 Borrowers
- ED Releases Updated Draft Regulatory Text for Student Debt Relief
- GAO: ED Did Not Apply Practices to Prevent Fraud in Student Debt Cancellation Proposal
- Senate Considers Resolution to Rescind the SAVE Student Loan Repayment Plan
- ED Announces New Framework to Hold Loan Servicers Accountable
- Student Debt Relief Negotiators Dive into ‘Hardship’ Discussion in Second Day of Neg Reg
- ED Kicks Off Second Negotiated Rulemaking Session for Student Debt Relief
- ED Releases Draft Regulatory Text to Provide Student Debt Relief Through Neg Reg
- Over 300,000 Federal Student Loan Borrowers Received Incorrect Bills From Their Servicers
- Student Debt Relief Negotiators Discuss Parameters for Cancellation in Second Day of Neg Reg
- ED Kicks Off First Negotiated Rulemaking Session for Student Debt Relief
- ED Announces an Additional $9 Billion in Student Debt Forgiveness for 125,000 Borrowers
- ED Details Upcoming Negotiated Rulemaking Session for its Student Debt Relief Committee
- Brief Examines Loan Forgiveness for Teachers and Social Workers With PSLF and SAVE Repayment Plan
- Cassidy, Foxx Question ED After Income-Driven Repayment Fixes, Loan Discharges
- GOP Introduces Resolution to End New SAVE Student Loan Repayment Plan
- Biden Administration Officially Launches Application for New Income-Driven Repayment Plan
- Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit to Block ED’s Student Loan Forgiveness Through Administrative Fixes to Income-Driven Repayment Plans
- New Lawsuit Challenges ED’s Student Loan Forgiveness After Fixes to Income-Driven Repayment Plans
- Biden’s Debt Relief Plan Heads to Negotiated Rulemaking Public Hearing
- Biden Outlines Next Steps for Student Debt Cancellation and Repayment Plans
Off the Cuff Podcast Episodes
- *NEW* OTC Inside The Beltway: More FAFSA Updates and Biden's Proposed Student Debt Relief Plan
- OTC AskRegs Experts: Debt Relief Neg Reg Updates and Unpacking FAFSA Family Size
- OTC From the Field: Breaking Down Student Loan Programs With Dr. Tisa Silver Canady
- OTC AskRegs Experts: Updates on Student Debt Relief Neg Reg and the FAFSA 24-25 Contributor
Legal Challenges to the Biden Administration’s One-Time Student Loan Debt Cancellation
Today’s News Coverage
- SCOTUS Blocks Biden’s Student Loan Debt Cancellation Program
- NASFAA Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision on Student Debt Cancellation
- House Fails to Override Biden’s Veto of Legislation to Repeal Debt Cancellation Program
- Biden Vetoes Effort to Rescind His Administration’s Debt Cancellation Program
- Senate Advances Bid to Overturn Biden’s Student Loan Debt Cancellation Plan
- House Passes Bill to Rescind Student Loan Debt Cancellation Plan
- House Education Committee Advances Resolution to End Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
- House Republicans Unveil Debt Limit Legislation Targeting Biden’s Student Loan Policies
- Senate Republicans Introduce Resolution to End Biden’s Student Debt Cancellation Plan
- SoFi Sues to End Student Loan Payment Pause
- SCOTUS Hears Lengthy Oral Arguments on Biden’s Student Loan Cancellation Program
- Rebuking Biden’s Debt Cancellation Program, Congressional Republicans File Amicus Briefs With SCOTUS
- Court Rulings Complicate Future of Student Loan Cancellation, End of Payment Pause and Return to Repayment
- Federal Judge Strikes Down Biden's Debt Cancellation Plan
- Top House Republicans Request Hearing Over Biden’s Student Loan Relief Plan
- Legal Challenges to Student Loan Debt Cancellation Begin to Take Shape
Off the Cuff Podcast Episodes
- OTC Inside the Beltway: The SCOTUS Recap
- OTC Inside the Beltway: Wrapping Up the Debt Ceiling and the Latest on Student Loan Debt Cancellation
- OTC Inside the Beltway: Biden's Student Debt Relief Program Faces SCOTUS
Biden Administration’s One-Time Student Loan Debt Cancellation
Today’s News Coverage
- Study: Biden’s Student Loan Cancellation Would Erase All Debt for Majority of Incarcerated Borrowers
- Borrowers From Lower-Income Areas Applied for Biden’s Student Loan Debt Relief Program at a Higher Rate Than Those From Wealthier Neighborhoods, a New Analysis Found
- Independent Audit Flags ‘Material Weakness’ in ED’s Most Recent Budget Estimates for Student Loan Cancellation
- FSA Annual Report Highlights Student Loan Repayment Pause and Cancellation, Calls for Reforms to Increase Equity
- Coalition Filed 13 Amicus Curiae Briefs With SCOTUS in Support of Biden’s Student Loan Cancellation
- New Congress Could Seek to End Biden’s Pandemic Flexibilities, With Impacts for Higher Ed
- ED Officials Share Regulatory, Programmatic Updates as Annual Training Conference Convenes
- White House Announces Another Extension of Student Loan Payment Pause as Cancellation Plans Face Legal Challenges
- Blocked by Injunction, Biden Said He’s Ready to Approve 16 Million Student Loan Cancellation Applications
- ED’s Office of Inspector General Releases Alert on Student Loan Relief Scams
- Biden Says 22 Million Borrowers Have Applied for Debt Cancellation
- Biden Launches Official Application for Student Debt Cancellation
- ED Publishes Notice Detailing Authority to Carry Out Student Debt Relief
- White House Provides Detailed Preview of Student Loan Debt Cancellation Application
- CBO Estimates $400 Billion for Biden’s Student Loan Debt Cancellation Plans
- ED Details State-by-State Estimated Impact of Student Debt Cancellation
- House Clears Fix to Joint Consolidation Loan Program
- Education Department Releases More Details About Biden’s Loan Debt Relief
- Updated: Biden Takes Executive Action on Student Loan Cancellation, Extends Repayment Pause
- NASFAA Statement on Student Loan Forgiveness, Extension of Payment Pause
Additional Resources
- ACE dotEDU Podcast Featuring NASFAA's Justin Draeger: Breaking Down Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
- Federal Student Aid FAQs: One-Time Student Loan Debt Relief
- Federal Student Aid FAQs: The Biden-Harris Administration's Student Debt Relief Plan Explained
- White House Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Student Loan Relief for Borrowers Who Need It Most
- White House Video: Biden’s 8/24 Full Remarks: Announcing Decision on Student Loan Debt Cancellation
