Back in August, President Joe Biden announced a plan that would provide relief for many Americans who have huge amounts of student loan debt. The plan was very promising, which depending on one’s household income, a loaner can possibly have all their debt forgiven.
Many people in this country relied on student loans in order to pursue an education and make something of themselves. Education is a valuable tool for society, and it’s where progress and innovation start. Necessary resources and personnel that are the backbone of our communities would not be here if it weren’t for their degrees and experience that they obtained because of going to college.
But to have these things, there shouldn’t be a price that people have to pay since they decided they wanted to become successful people with a career. Biden seems to understand this and thus created the forgiveness plan. Millions of people have already applied to gain relief, but for these hopefuls they may have to wait a little longer for any type of forgiveness.
This past Friday, a federal court of appeals in the Eighth circuit decided to pause any advancements regarding Biden’s loan forgiveness plan. The Biden-Harris administration is still encouraging people to apply despite this, in hopes that the plan is fulfilled. The states in the Circuit, which include Arkansas and Nebraska, lean very Republican.
By now, statements by Republican officials like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ted Cruz regarding this plan have not been enthusiastic about Biden’s new plan. Apparently those that are seeking relief are “slackers” and it’s not like these hardworking officials didn’t enjoy the privilege of having their own student loans forgiven, not at all. It makes someone think that those who can’t afford hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education, which is the circumstance of the majority of students, need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. How dare people go out and decide to pursue something they can’t afford? Now they have to pay it back but at the same time become the important members of society that we expect them to be and need. So is this mindset a true Republican value, or is it just prejudice towards those that don’t have the privilege of easily getting relief from education-related debt?
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals is going to analyze the appeal that they received regarding putting Biden’s plan into effect. So many people have already applied and this alone sends a bigger message. In this country we are suffering a huge financial crisis that is constantly being swept under the rug. Many people have to sacrifice their livelihoods to be able to have the careers they currently do. Whether it’s a debt cancellation plan like this one, or any other method, the American population that is suffering from the weight of their student debt don’t deserve this torment because they wanted to do something with their intelligence and intellect. So even if this plan doesn’t go into effect, does that mean finding solutions to this hugely felt crisis will continue or does it stop here?