Supreme Court Deals One-Two Punch To Education With Rejection Of Student Loan Forgiveness

The Supreme Court took another swipe at education today, rejecting President Joe Biden’s  loan forgiveness plan for millions of students.

The court determined that Biden needs congressional support before undertaking the $400 billion plan. The majority – which included the conservative justices – batted away arguments that a bipartisan 2003 law dealing with student loans, known as the HEROES Act, gave Biden the power he used.

Doctoral student Jae-Kur Lockhart decried the high court’s decision.

“It’s disheartening that a body that was intended to protect the justice of the people has once again turned their backs on the “common” folk,” Lockhart said. “Even more so, they are choosing to stand in the way of the intention of the President’s aim to make our economy a little bit more tolerable. Also, we must consider that with the landscape of the job market, most of those who are in student loan debt won’t be able to pay it all back, especially with the interest rates and the expected increments.”

According to the Education Data Initiative “Black and African American college graduates owe an average of $25,000 more in student loan debt than white college graduates.” Four years after graduation, Black students owe an average of 188% more than white students borrowed.

On social media, the Student Debt Crisis Center posted, “We resolutely call on President Biden to cancel student loan debt by using any means necessary by utilizing every alternative authority available to him.”

Student borrowers are expected to resume repayments by late summer.

The White House is expected to announce a new set of actions to protect student loan borrowers.