View or download a PDF of the letter here.
President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
June 30, 2022
Mr. President:
In just over 60 days, tens of millions of student loan borrowers are slated to be thrown back into repayment on federal student loans. Recent reports indicate that the Biden Administration is considering a rushed restart of student loan repayment as part of a broader strategy to mitigate historic levels of inflation. We, the undersigned 180 organizations, are writing to strongly urge your administration not to threaten the financial security of people with student debt as a tactic to fight inflation. Instead our organizations urge you to enact robust student debt cancellation that is not means tested and does not require an opt-in for participation and to fully implement this policy before any student loan bill comes due.
People with student debt cannot be required to make payments toward loans your administration has promised to cancel.
Our organizations enthusiastically support broad cancellation of student debt because it would provide desperately needed relief for millions of people and, in the process, strengthen the economy and our nation. We also understand that at a time of extremely high inflation, when even the necessities are becoming out of reach for many families, student debt relief would ease the financial pressure that so many Americans are feeling.
A proposal to immediately restart student loan payments and make debt cancellation contingent on successfully navigating a bureaucratic process seems certain to undermine the Administration’s relief efforts, and cause significant confusion for borrowers who can expect to have their debts cancelled. One recent report noted U.S. Department of Education officials’ warned that requiring borrowers to apply for cancellation would significantly complicate and slow down cancellation, with experts predicting a “train wreck.” It would create substantial barriers for the millions of borrowers who have failed to benefit from every prior attempt by the Department to deliver debt relief to economically vulnerable people. Worse still, this proposal may further widen the extraordinary disparate impacts student debt imposes on Black and Latino communities and women.
For these reasons, our organizations strongly urge your administration to extend the pause on student loan payments as you work to implement a new policy of broadly cancelling a substantial amount of federal student loan debt for all borrowers.
Sincerely,
National Organizations
1000 Women Strong
Accountable.US
AFGE Local 704
AFSCME
Alliance for Youth Action
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
American Psychological Association
Americans for Financial Reform
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Association of Young Americans (AYA)
Better Organizing to Win Legalization
BraveNOW PR
Bring America Home NOW Campaign
Build Back Better USA
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR)
Center for Responsible Lending
Clean Energy Action
Clean Energy Action
CommonDefense.us
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Consumer Federation of America
Debt Collective
Demand Progress
Demand Progress Education Fund
Demos
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Feminist Campus
Generation Hope
Hispanic Federation
Indivisible
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
LCLAA
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Main Street Alliance
Minority Veterans of America
Movement Voter Project
MoveOn
NAACP
National Association of Social Workers
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients)
National Consumers League
National Education Association
National Nurses United
National Young Farmers Coalition
NextGen America
NTEU Independent Staff Union
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
ParentsTogether
People’s Action
People’s Parity Project
Poligon Education Fund
Presente.org
Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)
Public Counsel
Public Rights Project
RootsAction.org
SaverLife
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
Starbucks Workers United
Student Borrower Protection Center
Student Debt Crisis Center
Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice
Sunrise Movement
The Education Trust
The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice
The Revolving Door Project
UltraViolet
United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries
United Food and Commercial Workers Intl Union
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
We, The 45 Million
Young Invincibles
State and Local Organizations
AFT Washington
Alaska PIRG
Arkansas Community Organizations
CAMEO-California Association for Micro Entreprise Opportunity
CFPB Union NTEU 335
Chicago Foundation for Women
CO Dem. Party – Energy & Environmental Initiative
CO Dem. Party – Energy & Environmental Initiative
College & Community Fellowship
Community Health Councils (CHC)
Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (Delaware)
Community Service Society of NY
Community Service Society of NY
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Texas
Debt-Free MD, Inc. (Maryland)
Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council, Inc.
Empower Our Future
Empower Our Future
Faith Action for All
Flint Rising
Friendship of Women, Inc.
Hawaii State Teachers Association
Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
Inversant
Legal Action Chicago
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Maryland Center for Collegiate Financial Wellness
Mountain State Justice, Inc.
National Association of Social Workers, Alabama Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, Alaska Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, Arizona Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, Arkansas Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, Colorado Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, Connecticut Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, Delaware Chapter
National Association of Social Workers DC Metro Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, Florida Chapter
National Association of Social Workers, Georgia Chapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, GuamChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, Hawaii Chapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, IdahoChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, IllinoisChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, IndianaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, IowaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, KansasChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, KentuckyChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, LouisianaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, MaineChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, MarylandChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, MassachusettsChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, MichiganChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, MinnesotaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, Mississippi Chapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, Missouri Chapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, MontanaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NebraskaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NevadaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NewHampshireChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NewJerseyChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NewMexicoChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NewYorkCityChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NewYorkStateChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NorthCarolinaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, NorthDakotaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, OhioChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, OklahomaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, OregonChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, PennsylvaniaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, PuertoRicoChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, Rhode IslandChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, SouthCarolinaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, SouthDakotaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, TennesseeChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, TexasChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, UtahChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, VermontChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, VirginiaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, Virgin IslandsChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, WashingtonChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, WestVirginiaChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, WisconsinChapter
National AssociationofSocial Workers, WyomingChapter
NEA-Alaska
Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods
New Era Colorado
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
NextGen California
Passengers United
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Protest NYC
Public Justice Center
SEIU Local 500
SEIU local 509
SMCN, Inc.
Student Loan Fund
Suncoast NORML
The Collaborative
The Foundation for Delaware County – Housing Opportunities Program for Equity (HOPE) UC-AFT (University Council-American Federation of Teachers Local 1474) United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 400
University of California Graduate & Professional Council
Washington Education Association
Wisconsin Education Association Council
Zero Debt Massachusetts