What They Are Reading in the States: Biden-Harris Administration Approves $39 Billion in Student Debt Relief for 804,000 Borrowers

Across the country, local news outlets are spotlighting last week's announcement that the Biden-Harris Administration will provide loan relief for more than 800,000 people who have been in repayment for over 20 years but hadn't gotten the forgiveness they earned, totaling $39 billion. This new action addresses historical failures in the federal student loan program which prevented borrowers from making progress toward loan forgiveness.

These forthcoming discharges are a result of fixes implemented by President Biden's Administration to ensure all borrowers have an accurate count of the number of monthly payments that qualify toward forgiveness under income-driven repayment plans. Notifications of relief to borrowers have already begun.

President Biden is committed to fighting for students, borrowers, and families – ensuring that hard-working Americans can access much needed relief.

Arizona

Arizona Capital Times: Latest student debt-relief plan could mean $1 billion for 20,000 in Arizona
[Jasmine Kabiri Cronkite, 07/19/23]

More than 20,000 Arizona residents would see $1 billion in student debt erased under a Biden administration plan unveiled just two weeks after the Supreme Court struck down a previous debt-forgiveness plan.

Florida

Florida Pheonix: Debt relief: About 57,000 Floridians qualify for student loan forgiveness under Biden plan
[Diane Rado, 07/19/23]

The U.S. Department of Education has released state data on the number of borrowers eligible for automatic loan forgiveness, with Florida showing 56,930 borrowers and more than $3 billion in discharges. Overall, the department has already started to notify 804,000 borrowers about the relief totaling $39 billion.

Indianapolis:

Indianapolis Recorder: Biden administration to forgive $39 billion in student loans
[Andrew Pillow, 07/20/23]

The U.S. Education Department has announced that it will forgive loans for thousands of borrowers. Over 804,000 people will have their loans automatically forgiven to fix what the Department of Education has referred to as "administrative failures." Around $39 billion worth of federal student loans will be automatically discharged.

Michigan

The Detroit News: Nearly 27K federal student loan borrowers in Michigan approved for loan forgiveness
[Mark Hicks, 07/18/23]

Nearly 27,000 federal student loan borrowers in Michigan are slated to receive more than $1.26 billion in income-driven repayment forgiveness, officials announced Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Education has released state-by-state data on the number of borrowers eligible for automatic loan relief under fixes to income-driven repayment plans the Biden administration implemented to ensure an accurate count of the number of monthly payments that qualify toward forgiveness.

Missouri:

The Joplin Globe: New student loan forgiveness plan could impact 18,800 Missourians | Four-States News
[Annelise Hanshaw, 07/20/23]

Missourians who have been making income-based student loan payments for at least 20 years may see their debt cleared within 30 days. The change comes as the U.S. Department of Education and the White House move to fix "past administrative failures" that inaccurately tracked borrowers' progress, the Biden administration announced last week.

Nebraska

Nebraska Examiner: Nebraska student debt relief could reach $268 million under new plan
[Zach Wending, 07/19/23]

Nearly 6,000 Nebraskans qualify for more than $268 million in student debt relief offered under a new Biden administration policy, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Nevada:

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Student loan forgiveness in Nevada: How many people are getting relief?
[Julie Wootton-Greener, 07/19/23]

More than 6,800 Nevadans will receive federal student loan forgiveness totaling $330 million in the coming weeks. The U.S. Department of Education released state-level data Tuesday showing how many people are eligible.

North Carolina

WRAL (Raleigh, North Carolina): Nearly 25,000 North Carolina borrowers to see student loan debt wiped out
[Staff, 07/18/23]

Nearly 25,000 borrowers in North Carolina will receive more than $1.1 billion in income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness in the coming weeks. It is part of the Biden-Harris administration's recent approval of $39 billion in student loan forgiveness for 804,000 borrowers nationwide.

Ohio

WFMJ (NBC Youngstown, Ohio): $1.7B in student loans to be forgiven for over 37,000 Ohioans
[Kylie Gessner, 07/19/23]

More than 37,000 Ohioans will soon receive over $1.7 billion dollars in student debt relief, according to a state-by-state breakdown from the Department of Education. The relief comes as part of "fixes" to the Biden Administration's Income-Driven Repayment plan, so all borrowers will have an accurate count of the number of monthly payments needed to qualify for forgiveness.

Oklahoma

Tulsa World: Over 11.5K in Oklahoma approved for student loan forgiveness
[Tim Stanley, 07/19/23]

More than 11,500 Oklahomans stand to benefit from the White House's latest student debt forgiveness effort, with nearly $550 million in loan cancellations approved for qualifying borrowers in the state.

Pennsylvania

CBS Pennsylvania: 30K Pennsylvanians approved for $1.3B in income-driven repayment forgiveness for student loans
[Danielle Ellis, 07/20/23]

Nearly 30,000 federal student loan borrowers in Pennsylvania have been approved for loan forgiveness, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday. Pennsylvanians will receive more than $1.3 billion in income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness after the Biden-Harris Administration approved 804,000 borrowers for $39 billion in federal student loans for automatic discharge this summer.

Texas:

Texas Tribune: Nearly 64,000 Texans will have their federal student loans forgiven
[Francisco Uranga]

Nearly 64,000 Texas borrowers will have their federal student loans forgiven after a U.S. Department of Education review concluded they qualified for the benefit.

West Virginia

The Register-Herald: Nearly 5,000 West Virginians eligible for student debt relief
[Staff, 07/19/23]

The Biden administration announced it would be forgiving loans for more than 800,000 people, for a total of $39 billion in relief. Nearly 5,000 of those borrowers are in West Virginia.

Wisconsin:

WISN (ABC Milwaukee, Wisconsin): Over 12,200 Federal Student Loan borrowers in Wisconsin approved for forgiveness
[Justin Steffen, 07/19/23]

n Wisconsin, more than 12,200 Federal Student Loan borrowers are set to receive approximately $576 million in income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness in the coming weeks. This comes after the Biden-Harris administration approved automatic discharge for 804,000 borrowers, totaling $39 billion in federal student loans.

Wyoming

Wyoming Tribune Eagle: Approximately 1,200 in Wyoming approved for student loan forgiveness | Local News

The Biden-Harris administration has approved 804,000 borrowers for $39 billion worth of automatic discharge of federal student loans this summer. Eligible borrowers will not have to take any action to receive this income-driven repayment forgiveness. In Wyoming, approximately 1,200 borrowers will receive more than $61 million in IDR forgiveness in the coming weeks.