The Biden administration isn’t accepting applications for federal student loan forgiveness, but they have been sending emails out to people who have been approved for forgiveness.
The application page was closed after court orders blocked the program. The application suspension came after a federal judge in Texas rejected Biden’s executive action to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for tens of millions of Americans.
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Over the weekend, emails from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona started going out to applicants who had been approved for student loan forgiveness.
“We reviewed your application and determined that you are eligible for loan relief under the Plan. We have sent this approval on to your loan servicer. You do not need to take any further action,” Cardona said.
The emails made note of the lawsuits and said they have blocked their ability to discharge the debt.
“We believe strongly that the lawsuits are meritless, and the Department of Justice has appealed on our behalf. Your application is complete and approved, and we will discharge your approved debt if and when we prevail in court. We will update you when there are new developments,” Cardona said.
The program would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients would get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.
The cancellation applies to federal student loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate school, along with Parent Plus loans.
Read: Will Biden extend the federal student loan payment pause? Experts believe it’s possible
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona sent the following email:
“This email provides you with an update on the one-time Student Loan Debt Relief plan that President Biden and I announced on August 24th.
“We reviewed your application and determined that you are eligible for loan relief under the Plan. We have sent this approval on to your loan servicer. You do not need to take any further action.
“Unfortunately, a number of lawsuits have been filed challenging the program, which have blocked our ability to discharge your debt at present. We believe strongly that the lawsuits are meritless, and the Department of Justice has appealed on our behalf. Your application is complete and approved, and we will discharge your approved debt if and when we prevail in court. We will update you when there are new developments.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to helping borrowers as they recover from the pandemic.
“Education is a great equalizer, and we will never stop fighting for you!”