Kean-Ocean’s Take on The Biden-Harris Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan

By Elaine Amico | Published October 3, 2022

In August, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced the Biden-Harris Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan, aiming to help middle and lower-class Americans pay off their student loans.

 For anyone making less than $125,000 yearly, the plan will forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loans and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.

While many across the nation are pleased that student loan forgiveness is becoming a priority, there are still many people who don’t feel it’s necessary. 

Jacklyn Mazzarisa, a senior at Kean Ocean, has mixed feelings regarding the debt relief plan, as she will be graduating without any student loans. 

“I have mixed thoughts about it, especially considering this is going to affect taxpayers. I worked very hard to get my education paid for by scholarships,” Mazzarisa said. “If I was in the position, I probably would sign up for it, but it’s a really tough discussion as it affects so many people.”

While for some it is a “tough” discussion, others have been going a step further and advocating for free college tuition for quite some time now. 

Kylie Clark, a junior at Kean Ocean believes there needs to be a point where everyone has the opportunity for reduced-cost college tuition, and eventually free college. 

“We have to start somewhere. I understand some people have already paid them off, but wouldn’t you want people to not have to go through what you went through,” Clark said. “Everyone could use some help, especially those who have already been paying their student loans off for quite some time.”

According to the National Center for Education, the average cost of college has more than doubled in the 21st century, with 55 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients choosing to take out loans to pay for their education. Students who leave college with student loans on average spend an additional 21 years paying them off.

“College is so expensive, I just don’t understand why people are so against others getting a little help,. and when I say little, I do mean little,” Jasmine Zatie, senior at Kean Ocean said “$10,000 is nothing compared to the amount of money I am going to owe back when I graduate in May.”

The United States Education Department indicated that 8 million federal student loan borrowers will be receiving student loan forgiveness automatically, with no application necessary. 

For the other 32 million people who qualify, they should be looking for an application to be released in the first few weeks of October. More information is soon to be released on how to apply, and who will be receiving student loan forgiveness automatically. 

For more information on how to apply for “The Biden-Harris Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan” visit: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/

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