Tens of millions of Americans across the country are now eligible to apply for student loan cancellation under President Joe Biden’s loan forgiveness program despite a number of lawsuits opposing the scheme.
Biden announced the launch of the official application site at StudentAid.gov on Monday after a “beta” test version of the site was rolled out over the weekend.
“Today, I’m announcing millions of people, working and middle-class folks, can apply to get this relief. And it’s simple and it’s easy, it’s fast,” Biden said in remarks delivered from the South Court Auditorium of the White House. “You’ll be able to fill out your name, Social Security number, date of birth, and contact information. No forms to upload. No special log-in to remember. It’s available in English and in Spanish, on desktop and mobile.”
Biden said the application will take “less than five minutes” to complete and will be a “game changer for millions of Americans,” noting that it took an “incredible amount of effort to get this website done in such a short time.”
Biden announced in August that he plans to cancel up to $10,000 in student loan debt for individuals making less than $125,000 a year, or as much as $20,000 for eligible borrowers who were also Pell Grant recipients.
An update on Sept. 29 states that borrowers who have federal student loans that are owned by private entities and not by the Department of Education will no longer qualify for the relief program.
Borrowers have until Dec. 31, 2023 to submit an application.
The White House said on Monday that over 8 million borrowers had already applied for loan forgiveness through the beta version of the website “without a glitch or any difficulty.”
Lawsuits Mounting
“We had over 10,000 people contact the White House and be—either send us letters or calls thanking us,” Biden claimed.
