Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 6 - Issue 32

On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments regarding a legal challenge to the Biden-Harris Administration’s student loan forgiveness plan. The challenge, brought by the Job Creators Network Foundation, claims that the forgiveness plan is unconstitutional and was upheld by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Recall that the Administration asked the Supreme Court to pause the ruling or hear the case in conjunction with another challenge from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. In that case, the Eighth Circuit issued a temporary block of the forgiveness plan until it ruled on an emergency request by six Republican-led states to prevent the student debt forgiveness policy from going into effect. The challenge will be heard by the Supreme Court in February.

Inside Higher Ed reports that the U.S. Department of Education is expected to release its proposed income-driven repayment rule in the next month. 

President Biden’s bankruptcy shift eases path for student loan discharges. 

Striking down the student loan forgiveness program could disproportionately impact people of color. 

The following bills have been recently introduced for consideration by the 117^th Congress (2021-2022):

H.R. 9558 – Student Loan Relief for Medicare and Social Security Recipients Act [Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-28)] would fully relieve Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance participants of all student loan debt that dates back more than 20 years. 

S. 5256 – Student Loan Literacy Act [Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)] would establish a grant program for States to fund community-based nonprofit student loan consumer assistance programs.