The Supreme Court has ruled on whether President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan had grounds to proceed.
Today (June 30), the court struck down the plan leaving millions of borrowers with mounting college debt, per The Associated Press. The president’s program has been paused since its 2022 announcement after the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary hold. Several states argued against the forgiveness act. In Biden’s plan, eligible students would receive up to $20K in relief, which would have cost over $400 billion. Over 41 million students were in line to receive government assistance.
“Six states sued, arguing that the HEROES Act does not authorize the loan cancellation plan. We agree,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court. According to the justice majority, Biden’s administration overstepped its authority in trying to cancel student loan balances for a large number of borrowers. With the 6-3 decision, millions of former college students and parents are left to prepare for loan repayments, expected to resume by late summer.
After the announcement, many individuals waiting months for a decision let their voices be heard on social media. Several Twitter users questioned how it was OK to forgive the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the global pandemic but not student loans.
Another person shared their thought on America’s future after the student debt decision. “By striking down student loan debt, the U.S. is likely to enter an immediate [recession] this fall when tens of millions of Americans will resume payment of loans in place of their current disposable income,” the person wrote.
A third user shared that the nation’s highest court ruling on Biden’s plan was expected. “The Supreme Court striking down student loan forgiveness was to be expected,” the user tweeted. “It would have helped so many of us and yet here we are.”
See how other Twitter users responded to the Supreme Court striking down Biden’s student debt relief plan below: