President Biden’s decision to cancel student debt and extend the payment pause is welcome news to many borrowers, but the low amount of cancellation and the means-testing requirements leaves many still suffering under the crushing weight of student debt.
This week the Department of Education announced that it will discharge all remaining federal student loans for borrowers who attended any campus owned or operated by Corinthian Colleges Inc. The relief will total $5.8 billion and cancel debt for 560,000 borrowers, without any additional action needed.
Today the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) and Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) sent letters to one dozen large private student lenders urging the companies to take steps to mitigate borrower harm caused by the economic fallout of the coronavirus. Private student loan borrowers were not provided any relief by Washington’s emergency economic stimulus legislation. In light of this critical omission, and given the widespread financial impact of COVID-19, advocates are urging the largest student lenders to act quickly to protect borrowers.