The White House is mulling extending the freeze on federal student loan payments, which were supposed to resume in May after being paused for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Education told companies that manage the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio to hold off sending to borrowers required notices that their payments will restart on May 1.
Education officials did not explain in the email why loan companies should not reach out about the deadline, and it did not make clear if the deadline would change.
Politico first reported the email.
Under the freeze that started in March 2020, the Education Department has to reach out to borrowers at least six times before repayments can restart.
The pause on interest and payments has cost the federal government at least $95 billion, according to an Education Department report.
An Education Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
The email comes just days after White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain suggested that the repayment pause could be extended.
“The president is going to look at what we should do on student debt before the pause expires, or he’ll extend the pause,” Mr. Klain said in an interview on the podcast “Pod Save America.”
“Joe Biden is the only president in history where no one’s paid on their student loans for the entirety of his presidency,” Mr. Klain continued, in a statement directed to voters ahead of the midterm elections.
President Biden in December extended the repayment date from Jan. 31 to May 1, even as the Education Department had begun contacting borrowers.
The Education Department has sent millions of emails to borrowers signaling looming repayment deadlines, only to see those dates extended by the Trump and Biden administrations.
Mr. Biden made canceling at least $10,000 in student debt per borrower a key campaign promise but has not taken action so far, frustrating those on the left.
“Student debt cancellation is a racial & economic justice issue,” tweeted Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts Democrat.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer also weighed in after Mr. Klain’s comments.
“Today would be a great day for President Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris to #CancelStudentDebt,” Mr. Schumer tweeted last week.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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