The new Biden plan that could still erase your student loans
Aug 11, 2023
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President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan was struck down by the Supreme Court, but his SAVE plan could still erase student loans. This episode explores the history of income-driven repayment and how borrowers may end up paying less. The new Biden plan offers a slow-motion loan forgiveness approach, benefiting low to moderate-income borrowers. The episode also delves into the controversy surrounding the Biden administration's student loan erasure proposal.
Biden's new income-driven repayment plan called SAVE could potentially lead to a larger and more far-reaching loan forgiveness program than the one previously struck down by the Supreme Court.
The SAVE plan offers low monthly payments based on income levels, forgives any remaining interest not covered by payments, and eventually forgives the remaining debt after 10 to 20 years, benefiting an estimated 20% of federal student loan borrowers.
Deep dives
Biden's Big Student Loan Forgiveness Announcement
President Biden announced a major student loan forgiveness program during a press conference last year. The program aimed to erase some or all federal student loan debt for 40 million Americans. However, the Supreme Court later struck down this forgiveness plan, leading many to believe that the promise of loan forgiveness had disappeared. But a careful reexamination of the press conference reveals that another forgiveness plan may have been hiding in plain sight. Biden mentioned the creation of a new income-driven repayment plan called SAVE, which could potentially lead to a larger and more far-reaching loan forgiveness program than the one defeated in court.
A Different Approach to Loan Forgiveness
Unlike the previous straightforward loan forgiveness plan, Biden's SAVE plan takes a more gradual approach to loan forgiveness. By offering low monthly payments based on income levels, borrowers may end up paying very little each month. Additionally, any interest that is not covered by these payments is forgiven. Finally, after a period of 10 to 20 years, depending on the loan amount, the remaining debt is forgiven. This plan is estimated to benefit a significant number of borrowers, with the Urban Institute projecting that about 20% of those with federal student loans may never have to repay a dime.
The Legal and Financial Implications
Although this new plan is expected to face legal challenges, experts believe that it is on stronger legal grounds compared to the previous forgiveness program. The authority to create income-driven repayment plans was granted to the Secretary of Education in a law passed during the Clinton administration. While the cost of the program is estimated to be significant, potentially reaching over $475 billion over the next decade, it is seen as a way to address the existing student loan crisis and provide relief for low to moderate-income borrowers.
This summer, the Supreme Court struck down Biden's plan to forgive student loan debt for millions of borrowers. Except, on the same day Biden first announced that plan, he also unveiled another, the SAVE plan. And though SAVE sounded less significant than Biden's big forgiveness pledge, it's still alive and could erase even more student debt.
SAVE is officially a loan repayment plan. But through a few seemingly minor yet powerful provisions, many more low-income borrowers will end up paying little or nothing until, eventually, their loans will be forgiven. Even many higher-income borrowers will see some of their debts erased.
In this episode, we explain the history of income-driven repayment. And how borrowers could end up paying less than they might expect once payments resume in October. You can read more from NPR's Cory Turner's here.
This episode was hosted by Cory Turner and Kenny Malone. It was produced by Emma Peaslee, and edited by Molly Messick. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.