President Biden erases student debt for 55,000 public service workers

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – President Joe Biden announced another round of student loan relief on Friday as his time in office winds down.

The White House said another 55,000 public service workers will see relief through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

“From Day One of my Administration, I promised to make sure that higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. Because of our actions, millions of people across the country now have the breathing room to start businesses, save for retirement, and pursue life plans they had put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt,” President Biden said in a statement.

The PSLF program provides relief for teachers, nurses, law enforcement and other public service workers after 10 years in government or nonprofit jobs.

“Under the Biden-Harris administration more than one million public service workers have received student debt relief, more than all other administrations combined since the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program was first established by Congress in 2007,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

 Friday’s announcement of $4.28 billion in student debt relief is expected to be the final round of public service loan forgiveness before Biden leaves office next month.

The Department of Education said Biden has forgiven a sweeping $180 billion in federal student loans for nearly five million people throughout his presidency. This comes despite the Supreme Court striking down his plan to provide widespread student loan relief.

The White House is reportedly pulling back unfinished rules before the next administration takes office, including plans related to student loan forgiveness.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.