By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
The Biden-Harris Administration approved roughly $4.5 billion in student loan forgiveness for over 60,000 public service workers nationwide, a significant expansion of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. The action brings the administration’s total loan forgiveness to over $175 billion for more than 4.8 million Americans, with $74 billion explicitly benefiting public servants through PSLF, reaching over one million individuals, including teachers, nurses, social workers, and veterans.
The improvements to PSLF come despite continued opposition from MAGA Republicans and setbacks from the U.S. Supreme Court. “Higher education should be a pathway to economic opportunity—not a lifetime of debt,” Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, said. “When President Biden and I took office, only 7,000 people had ever been approved for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Today, I am proud to say that a record one million teachers, nurses, first responders, social workers, and other public service workers have received student debt cancellation.”
Before the Biden-Harris Administration, the PSLF Program, which forgives the remaining student loan balance for borrowers who make 120 qualifying monthly payments while working in public service, had significant problems. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona pointed out that “countless public servants were trapped making payments on debts that should have been forgiven before the administration’s reforms.” Since implementing a limited waiver and regulatory changes, the administration has allowed borrowers to manage their PSLF applications and track progress entirely on studentaid.gov.
The latest data on PSLF discharges and approvals reveal that borrowers in every state have benefited from substantial student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program and its recent expansions. In Florida, 55,330 borrowers saw $4.65 billion in student loan debt canceled, making it one of the largest states for forgiveness.
Ohio, with 44,240 borrowers, received relief totaling over $3.08 billion, and Pennsylvania’s 44,150 borrowers benefited from $3.15 billion in debt cancellation. Michigan also saw significant relief, with $2.5 billion forgiven for 35,400 borrowers, supporting a wide range of public servants across the state.
Georgia, with over 41,610 borrowers, received $3.79 billion in relief, while Wisconsin reported 18,980 borrowers freed from $1.17 billion in debt. In Nevada, more than 5,740 public servants benefited, with $432.4 million forgiven. Public service workers in these states, ranging from educators to first responders, are among the one million Americans whose loans have been forgiven since October 2021 through PSLF, TEPSLF, and the limited waiver.
In the District of Columbia, over 5,500 borrowers received forgiveness, amounting to $510.5 million. Maryland and Virginia saw relief for over 60,000 borrowers, with balances totaling nearly $4.75 billion between the two states. Harris noted that the administration’s push for PSLF goes beyond numbers, as it offers genuine relief to public servants who have dedicated their careers to helping their communities.
“As I travel our nation, I meet many of these public servants who say they now have more money in their pocket to put towards buying a home, renting an apartment, getting a car, starting a family, and saving up for the future,” she said.
The Biden-Harris Administration has also tackled student debt through broader initiatives. Over $56.5 billion has been approved under income-driven repayment plans, with adjustments helping borrowers move closer to forgiveness. The affected borrowers of an additional $28.7 billion received relief, while those with total and permanent disabilities received $16.2 billion. The administration has also taken steps to protect future borrowers from excessive debt, such as securing a $900 increase to the Pell Grant—the largest in a decade—and finalizing rules to prevent institutions from burdening students with unaffordable debt.
“While Republican elected officials do everything in their power to block millions of their own constituents from receiving this much-needed economic relief, I will continue our work to lower costs, make higher education more affordable, and relieve the burden of student debt,” Harris stated. “I am fully committed to doing what is necessary to build an economy that works for every American.”
