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☆ Former Harvard disinformation scholar says she was pushed out of her job after college faced pressure from Facebook
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A nationally recognized online disinformation researcher has accused Harvard University of shutting the project she led to protect its relationship with mega-donor and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The allegations, made by Dr. Joan Donovan, raise questions about the influence the tech giant might have over seemingly independent research. Beginning in 2018, Dr. Donovan worked for the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and ran its Technology and Social Change Research Project, where she led studies of media manipulation campaigns. But last year Harvard informed Dr. Donovan it was shutting the project down, Donovan claims. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is the philanthropy run by Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, who both attended Harvard.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Joan Donovan, Donovan, Harvard University’s John F, Dr, Miguel Cardona, Chan, Chan Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, ” Libby Liu, Frances Haugen, “ We’ve, ” Liu Organizations: CNN, Harvard University, Meta, Shorenstein, Harvard University’s, Kennedy School of Government, Technology, Research, Harvard, US Education, University, Initiative, The Washington Post, Post, Big Energy, Big Pharma

☆ Student-loan borrowers are facing 'serious risks' to their credit scores following the 'chaotic' payment resumption, 4 Democratic lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Four Democrats recently wrote a letter that raised concerns about student-loan repayment challenges. They said they're worried servicer errors could hurt borrowers' credit scores. AdvertisementIt's been just over two months since federal student-loan payments resumed and millions of borrowers have already faced a range of difficulties with the transition. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Richard Blumenthal, and Chris Van Hollen sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona expressing concerns about challenges student-loan borrowers have faced over the past few months. "For example, we are concerned that ED's credit reporting processes may expose borrowers' credit scores to unanticipated consequences," the letter said.

Persons: they're, —, It's, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Van Hollen, Secretary Miguel Cardona, it's Organizations: Education Department, Service, Democratic, Secretary, Department, Democrats, Federal Student Aid, House Republicans Locations: Sens

☆ How a boomer just got $50,000 in student debt wiped out after making payments for 25 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's a result of an account adjustment for borrowers who made the required 20 or 25 years of payments. AdvertisementGeorge Tucker thought he would be resuming student-loan payments alongside millions of other borrowers this fall. Tucker, 63, owed just under $50,000 on his student loans when the more than three-year pause on federal payments ended in October, per documents reviewed by Insider. Although PSLF was intended to forgive student debt after ten years of qualifying payments, Tucker said paperwork challenges with the program threw him off track, and he was not anticipating debt relief. George Tucker got $50,000 in student debt wiped out.

Persons: George Tucker, It's, Tucker, —, Little, he's, PSLF, MOHELA, Harris, Joe Biden's, isn't, Miguel Cardona, servicers, Jason Harmon, Harmon couldn't Organizations: Service, Public, Harris Administration, Biden, Joe Biden's Education Department, Department, Education, Education Department, MOHELA

☆ Civil rights complaints allege UPenn and Wellesley allowed antisemitism to ‘run rampant’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —A Jewish legal rights advocacy group has alleged that the University of Pennsylvania and Wellesley College have violated federal civil rights law by allowing for discrimination against Jews. The Brandeis Center, a Jewish civil rights legal organization, filed civil rights complaints with the US Department of Education on Thursday, alleging both schools failed to adequately respond to harassment of Jews. “These colleges and universities have failed to keep Jewish students safe and are in clear violation of well-established federal civil rights law,” Kenneth Marcus, founder and chairman of the Brandeis Center, said in a statement. The complaints argue both schools have violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects people from discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. The 27-page complaint alleges “Penn’s nurturing of a hostile environment toward Jewish students is a patent violation of” Title VI.

Persons: ” Kenneth Marcus, “ There’s, ” Marcus, ”, UPenn, Wellesley, “ Penn, Brandeis, Liz Magill, Magill, ” Magill, Paula Johnson, ” Johnson, “, RAs, Wellesley’s, CNN’s Rene Marsh, Miguel Cardona, wouldn’t, Cardona, ” Cardona, Henry Swieca, Swieca Organizations: New, New York CNN, University of Pennsylvania, Wellesley, Brandeis Center, US Department of Education, Civil, College, FBI, Ivy League school’s, of Pennsylvania, Penn, CNN, of Education, Ivy League, Columbia Business School, Wall Street, Board, School, ” Locations: New York, Israel, UPenn, Palestine, Wellesley, Gaza, Columbia

☆ A major student-loan company is giving millions of borrowers 'inadequate' information as it works to solve billing inaccuracies, 4 Democratic lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department withheld pay from student-loan company MOHELA over repayment errors. AdvertisementAdvertisementSeveral Democratic lawmakers aren't happy with the way a major student-loan company is resolving account errors for millions of borrowers. @MOHELA has failed to provide borrowers with accurate, timely information about their loans, forcing millions into forbearance. The Education Department said it will continue oversight over servicers to crack down on mistakes that are putting borrowers at risk. Are you experiencing challenges with student-loan repayment?

Persons: MOHELA, —, aren't, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal, Scott Giles, forbearance, @MOHELA, yKdYeyTfV3 — Ed Markey, Giles, MOHELA's, Miguel Cardona Organizations: Department, Service, Democratic, Education Department, MOHELA, Federal Locations: Sens

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is warning U.S. schools and colleges that they must take immediate action to stop antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses, citing an “alarming rise” in threats and harassment. In a Tuesday letter, the Education Department said there's “renewed urgency” to fight discrimination against students during the Israel-Hamas war. “Hate-based discrimination, including based on antisemitism and Islamophobia among other bases, have no place in our nation’s schools,” wrote Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights at the department. The Education Department offered few specifics on how colleges should respond, and it did little to answer questions about where to draw the line between political speech and harassment. Last week the Education Department added language to a federal complaint form clarifying that certain forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia are prohibited by federal civil rights law.

Persons: —, Biden, there's “, “, ”, Catherine E, Lhamon, Miguel Cardona Organizations: WASHINGTON, Education Department, Universities, Tulane University, Cornell University, The Education Department, Civil, Department, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: Israel, Baltimore, Carnegie Corporation of New York

☆ 3,500 student-loan borrowers got $109 million in debt wiped out after being 'cheated' by their schools. Top Democrats want relief for taxpayers, too.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some Democrats want the Education Department to recoup funds from Ashford and University of Phoenix. The department previously accused those schools of fraud, granting thousands of borrowers debt relief. The lawmakers want the schools to pay up so taxpayers don't foot the bill for the relief. The Democrats referenced two recent actions to provide relief for borrowers who went to for-profit schools accused of predatory behavior: $72 million in relief for 2,300 borrowers "cheated" by Ashford University, and $37 million in relief for 1,200 borrowers "deceived" by the University of Phoenix, according to the Education Department. AdvertisementAdvertisement"This would send a strong warning signal to other predatory for-profit colleges that there are substantial financial consequences for defrauding students," the Democrats wrote.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Sen, Dick Durbin, Rosa DeLauro, — Sen, Elizabeth Warren —, Secretary Miguel Cardona, ike, hoenix, J ames Organizations: Education Department, Ashford and University of Phoenix, Service, Secretary, Ashford University, University of Phoenix Locations: Ashford, Phoenix

☆ 800,000 student-loan borrowers missed payments because their servicer failed to meet its 'basic obligation.' Here's what happens now.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department withheld pay from MOHELA over failure to deliver on-time billing statements. AdvertisementAdvertisementPresident Joe Biden's Education Department revealed that a major student-loan company made errors with millions of borrowers' accounts. The Education Department instructed MOHELA to place all affected borrowers on forbearances until the issues are resolved. Borrowers enrolled in Public Service Loan Forgiveness or an income-driven repayment plan will have any month spent in forbearance counted toward their forgiveness progress. The Education Department said that it will continue to monitor servicers' performance "and ensure they are meeting their basic contractual obligations to the Department and to borrowers.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Miguel Cardona, MOHELA, Will, I'm, What's, servicers Organizations: Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, MOHELA, Education Department, The Education Department, Federal Student, Federal Student Aid Locations: forbearance

☆ A top GOP lawmaker is taking legal action to scrutinize the Education Department's authority to cancel student debt for defrauded borrowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx issued a subpoena to the Education Department on Tuesday. AdvertisementAdvertisementA top Republican lawmaker is turning to legal action to get answers from the Education Department on student-debt relief. Borrower defense claims are forms a borrower can submit if they believe they were defrauded by the school they attended, and if approved, their loans from that school would be discharged. AdvertisementAdvertisement"This is the first time the Committee has subpoenaed the Education Department, and it is a measure that I do not take lightly. Biden's Education Department has consistently stood by its legal authority to approve borrower defense claims for defrauded borrowers.

Persons: Virginia Foxx, Foxx, —, Secretary Miguel Cardona, Foxx isn't, Secretary Cardona, Cardona, Donald Trump, Aaron Ament Organizations: Education Department, Service, Republican, Secretary, Biden's, Department, Higher, Student Defense Locations: Cardona

Tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups have sprung up on some U.S. campuses, including several in New York, prompting university officials to tighten security. "There is no place for hate in America, and we condemn any antisemitic threat or incident in the strongest terms," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told a regular briefing. The Jewish leaders included representatives of the campus Jewish organization Hillel, the Anti-Defamation League and the National Council of Jewish Women, the White House official said. Cardona and White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden will visit a university and meet with Jewish students later this week, the official said. Over the weekend, threats were posted online to Jewish students and the Center of Jewish Living at Cornell, according to the student newspaper and the campus Hillel group.

Persons: Karine Jean, Pierre, Biden, Kamala Harris's, Douglas Emhoff, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Deborah Lipstadt, Israel, Hillel, Cardona, Neera Tanden, Kathy Hochul, Hochul, Doina Chiacu, Andrea Shalal, Trevor Hunnicutt, Howard Goller Organizations: Columbia University, REUTERS, Rights, Biden, White, Israel, Cornell University, Defamation, Education Secretary, Department of Education's, Civil Rights, Defamation League, National Council of Jewish Women, White House, Islamic Relations, Center of Jewish, Cornell, Hillel, FBI, New, Jewish, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Gaza, New York City, U.S, New York, America, Israel

☆ Biden's Education Department reveals the 4 groups of student-loan borrowers it's prioritizing for its second attempt at debt relief
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Education Department released the draft text of its second attempt at student-debt relief. AdvertisementAdvertisementPresident Joe Biden's Education Department just released the latest details on its second attempt at student-loan forgiveness. On Monday, the department released the draft text of its proposal to cancel student debt for federal borrowers using the Higher Education Act of 1965. The high court ruled Biden did not have the authority to cancel student debt broadly using that law. AdvertisementAdvertisementA senior department official also told reporters that the amount of student debt canceled could vary by each group.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Biden, Harris, Miguel Cardona, Education James Kvaal, Tamy Abernathy, it's, Ashley Pizzuti Organizations: Education Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Higher, Education

☆ A major student-loan company failed to send on-time billing statements to 2.5 million borrowers. Biden's Education Department is punishing it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department announced it's withholding $7.2 million in pay from student-loan company MOHELA. It's a result of MOHELA failing to deliver on-time billing statements to 2.5 million borrowers. AdvertisementAdvertisementPresident Joe Biden's Education Department just enacted its first punishment on a student-loan company for its repayment mistakes. MOHELA and the Education Department have previously expressed concerns with limited resources due to Congress failing to increase funding for Federal Student Aid in the previous fiscal year. The Education Department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on whether there might be any adverse effects of withholding MOHELA's pay.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, MOHELA, Miguel Cardona, Richard Cordray, Cordray Organizations: Education Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Public, Department, Federal Student Aid, Democratic Locations: It's, forebearance

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will be in Arizona to talk about power grid and clean energy investment in the rural Southwest. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough plans to visit Iowa to discuss improving access to medical care for veterans in rural areas. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will be in North Carolina talking about health care access in rural areas. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su will be in Pennsylvania to discuss boosting employment opportunities in rural areas. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will head to Indiana to discuss how international trade can benefit rural farmers and producers.

Persons: Joe Biden, Dean Phillips of, Biden, Phillips, Tom Vilsack, White, Vilsack, Deb Haaland, Jennifer Granholm, Denis McDonough, Isabel Guzman, Miguel Cardona, Xavier Becerra, Julie Su, Katherine Tai Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic Rep, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Administration, White, Smart Commodities, Agriculture Department, Farmers of, Energy, Southwest . Veterans, Small Business Administration, Education, Human Services, Labor, U.S . Trade Locations: Minnesota, America, Indiana, Farmers of America, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Southwest, Iowa, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, U.S

☆ New rules prevent colleges from leaving student-loan borrowers with 'shoddy educations' and lots of debt, Biden's Education Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Education Department released new rules to protect student-loan borrowers from unaffordable debt. They also require colleges to be upfront with a student on the amount of debt they'll take on for a program. AdvertisementAdvertisementPresident Joe Biden's Education Department finalized rules to hold colleges accountable for loading student-loan borrowers up with unaffordable debt. On Tuesday, the Education Department released its final regulations to strengthen oversight over colleges and enhance protections for student-loan borrowers. "They will help prevent fly-by-night colleges from leaving students and taxpayers holding the bag for shoddy educations," he continued.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Education James Kvaal, they're, Kelly McManus, Barack Obama's, Donald Trump, Miguel Cardona Organizations: Education Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education, Education, Arnold Ventures

Olivier Douliery | Afp | Getty ImagesAmberlee McGaughey, a librarian in Pennsylvania, was not worried about the restart of student loan payments. In August, she applied for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program with her loan servicer, MOHELA, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority. Around 7% of student loan borrowers are now more than $100,000 in debt. "The government has made all these announcements, and it's really confusing to people," said Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers. Her original student loan bill of $483, which was listed as due on Oct. 20, wasn't affordable for her.

Persons: Miguel Cardona, Kamala Harris, Olivier Douliery, she's, MOHELA, couldn't, Ella Azoulay, Carolina Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Scott Buchanan, Joe Biden, he'd, didn't, Biden, servicers, Braxton Brewington, Sarah Cluff, Sarah Cluff Still, servicer, Cluff, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Nelnet, Joe Popevis, NelNet, Popevis, Servicers, Brewington, Amberlee, Jane Fox, Fox, Buchanan, Rocky, they'll Organizations: Washington , D.C, Afp, Getty, Public, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, CNBC, Finance, Biden, Student, Protection, Carolina, Education, Consumer, Student Loan, Alliance, U.S . Department of Education, Valuable Education, Education Department, MOHELA, SAVE, Legal, Association of Legal Locations: Washington ,, Pennsylvania, Missouri, U.S, New York, servicers

☆ 305,000 student-loan borrowers got the wrong billing information from their servicer and 'will not have payments due until these mistakes are fixed,' Biden's Education Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Education Department confirmed 305,000 student-loan borrowers had payment errors. AdvertisementAdvertisementThousands of student-loan borrowers have faced issues with their payments as they started footing another monthly bill once again. President Joe Biden's Education Department confirmed to Insider on Friday that about 305,000 borrowers have received inaccurate monthly payments from their servicer — less than 1% of the 28 million borrowers entering repayment. After over three years, the student-loan payment pause ended in September when interest started accruing again on federal borrowers' balances. Some borrowers have reported inaccurate bills under the new SAVE income-driven repayment plan, which the Education Department rolled out over the summer to give borrowers more affordable monthly payments.

Persons: servicers, —, Joe Biden's, Ann Currie, Currie, I'm, Miguel Cardona Organizations: Education Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Department, Bills, Biden, Education

☆ These 5 groups of borrowers could still get student loan forgiveness under Biden's 'Plan B'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nearly 40 million Americans stood to benefit from President Joe Biden's original student loan forgiveness plan, which the Supreme Court ultimately blocked over the summer. Though the Biden administration is now trying to cancel education debt another way, experts have warned that borrowers should temper their expectations. Given the legal challenges of passing sweeping debt forgiveness, they say the president's Plan B for relief is likely to be narrower in its reach. More from Personal Finance:Workers rights amid a 'summer of strikes'Couples leverage 'something borrowed' to cut wedding costs'Soft landing, no recession,' Bank of America predictsIndeed, Kantrowitz estimates that less than 10% of federal student loan borrowers will qualify this round. On the campaign trail, Biden promised to cancel at least $10,000 of student debt per person.

Persons: Joe Biden, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Joe Biden's, Biden, Mark Kantrowitz, Astra Taylor Organizations: Education Secretary, White, Washington , D.C, Finance, Workers, Bank of America, U.S . Department of Education, Consumer, CNBC Locations: Washington ,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s second attempt at student loan cancellation is moving forward with a round of hearings beginning Tuesday to negotiate the details of a new plan. In a process known as negotiated rulemaking, 14 people chosen by the Biden administration will meet for the first of three hearings on student loan relief. Their goal is to guide the Education Department toward a proposal after the Supreme Court rejected Biden’s first plan in June. The negotiators all come from outside the federal government and represent a range of viewpoints on student loans. That plan would have canceled up to $20,000 in federal student loans for borrowers with incomes below $125,000 or couples below $250,000.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, Biden’s, rulemaking, “, didn't, Miguel Cardona, —, ”, ” Biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, Education Department, NAACP, Higher, The Education Department, Republicans, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: Carnegie Corporation of New York

☆ How student-loan borrowers can help craft Biden's new plan for broad debt cancellation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Education Department is beginning negotiations for its new broad student-debt relief plan. Borrowers can submit a request to comment on the negotiations at the end of each day. AdvertisementAdvertisementPresident Joe Biden's Education Department is about to embark on its next step to enact broad student-loan forgiveness. At the end of September, the Education Department released new details on what the negotiation sessions will look like. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Education Department is aware of the challenges borrowers are facing — but there's no clear timeline for when the issues will be resolved.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, they've, I've, Miguel Cardona Organizations: Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Higher, Education Department, Management, Federal Register

☆ Student-loan companies are asking for patience to resolve account errors as payments come due, but borrowers can't afford to wait
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementAlicia, 48, is just a few months away from qualifying for student-debt relief through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. She said she anticipated that once the student-loan payment pause ended, she would be facing the same monthly payment. After over three years, the pandemic student-loan payment pause is officially over — interest started to accrue again in September, and bills are now starting to become due. So we can't wait months and months and months." Are you having challenges with student-loan repayment?

Persons: servicers haven't, —, Alicia, Alicia —, I've, servicers, it's, it'll, they're, We're, Xiong Chang, Xiong, I'm, servicer, he's, Miguel Cardona Organizations: Service, Public, Education Department, Customer Service Locations: PSLF

☆ Parents who took on student loans for their kids are facing 'a grim reality' as payments resume because they're not included in Biden's new plan to make monthly bills cheaper, the NAACP says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Student-loan borrowers with parent PLUS loans are not included in Biden's new SAVE plan. The issue they raised is that parent PLUS borrowers are not eligible for Biden's new SAVE income-driven repayment plan, which is intended to make monthly payments cheaper for many borrowers. "Parent PLUS borrowers face a grim reality as loan repayments restart," Johnson and Cole said. "The new SAVE plan does not apply to Parent PLUS borrowers, and there is currently no plan to assist such borrowers when loans restart." Currently, over 3 million parents hold $104 billion in PLUS loans, and they come with the highest interest rate of all federal loans: 8.05% for the 2023-2024 school year.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Derrick Johnson, Wisdom Cole, Secretary Miguel Cardona, Johnson, Cole, they're, he's Organizations: NAACP, Education Department, Service, National, Secretary, Parent PLUS, Higher

☆ 125,000 student-loan borrowers are getting $9 billion in debt wiped out through a series of Biden's repayment reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department announced $9 billion in student-debt relief for 125,000 borrowers. It impacts borrowers in public service, on income-driven plans, and those with total and permanent disabilities. AdvertisementAdvertisementPresident Joe Biden's Education Department just announced its latest batch of student-debt relief for targeted groups of borrowers. On Wednesday, the department announced that it has approved $9 billion in debt cancellation for 125,000 borrowers. That included a one-time account adjustment for borrowers on income-driven repayment plans and PSLF — most recently, the department announced it had approved relief for 804,000 borrowers on income-driven repayment.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Biden, Miguel Cardona, Harris, It's, they're, Education James Kvaal, he's Organizations: Education Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Public, Social Security Administration, Biden, Education

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced another wave of federal student loan forgiveness on Wednesday as borrowers brace for payments to restart after a three-year pause that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic president's latest step will help 125,000 borrowers by erasing $9 billion in debt through existing relief programs. “President Biden has long believed that college should be a ticket to the middle class, not a burden that weighs on families,” the White House said in a statement. Biden is scheduled to make a formal announcement at the White House at 1 p.m. Republicans have fought Biden's plans on student debt, but Wednesday's announcement comes as they're consumed by infighting on Capitol Hill.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, “, he's, Miguel Cardona, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, White House, U.S, Supreme, SAVE, ”, Republicans

☆ Student-loan borrowers who weren't in the last round of debt cancellation can still count on relief if they 'did their end of the bargain,' Biden's Education Secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department announced $9 billion in debt relief for 125,000 student-loan borrowers this week. The department will continue evaluating which borrowers have completed the required payments. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe top education official doesn't want student-loan borrowers who believe they've made the required payments to lose hope if they have not yet gotten debt relief. According to Federal Student Aid, the Education Department will continue evaluating borrowers' accounts every two months to determine who has met the threshold for relief. Cardona said he recognizes "how difficult it is for so many borrowers" especially after the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden's first plan for debt relief.

Persons: Miguel Cardona, —, they've, PSLF, " Cardona, Cardona, Joe Biden's Organizations: Education Department, Service, Public, Education, Federal Student Aid, Federal

☆ Student-loan borrowers are facing 'excessively long' wait times for help from their servicers, Biden's Education Secretary says — and it'll take more money from Congress to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Student-loan borrowers started to face monthly bills again this week. Miguel Cardona told Insider he's aware of the challenges with repayment. October 1 marked the official end of pandemic relief for federal student-loan borrowers. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told Insider in an interview that he's aware of the challenges this transition is bringing to both borrowers and servicers. AdvertisementAdvertisementStill, some student-loan servicers continue to point to lack of resources when faced with customer service complaints.

Persons: Miguel Cardona, —, we're, Cardona, Joe Biden's, Education James Kvaal, he's, Kvaal, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, servicers, MOHELA Organizations: Service, Bills, Education Department, Education, Federal Student Aid, Republicans Locations: Massachusetts

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