A version of this story appeared in the On Background newsletter from The Washington Times. Click here to receive On Background delivered directly to your inbox each Friday.
President Biden said Thursday he is canceling student debt for 78,000 teachers, firefighters and other public service workers under an existing law.
The move forgives nearly $6 billion under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and is the president’s latest attempt to wipe out college debt after a marquee debt-forgiveness effort ran into legal and political roadblocks.
Mr. Biden will send an email to persons who benefit from the program.
“For too long, the program failed to live up to its commitments — and public service workers like you never got the relief you are entitled to under the law because of errors and administrative failures,” he wrote. “I vowed to fix that, and I’m proud that my administration has delivered on that promise.”
Debt forgiveness is a key agenda item for Mr. Biden and his Democratic allies. He is trying to keep young voters in his corner after they fueled his 2020 win over former President Donald Trump.
Facing a rematch, some young voters appear to be abandoning the elderly president over his position on Israel’s war in Gaza or other issues.
An attempt to revise the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form that allows students to apply for college loans suffered a lousy rollout, with some students unable to fill it out.
Mr. Biden also suffered a setback when the Supreme Court blocked a major plan to wipe out debt for tens of thousands of student borrowers and Pell Grant recipients.
Republicans had opposed the plan, saying it forced blue-collar workers to subsidize college-educated persons who took on major debt voluntarily, and that it would incentivize universities to raise tuition.
Beyond Thursday’s announcement, Mr. Biden created the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan as a workaround after the legal defeat.
The SAVE Plan allows for forgiveness based on the original principal balance of federal loans and the number of years borrowers have been making payments, as well as income and family size.
Critics said the program defies the spirit of the Supreme Court’s decision against prior forgiveness plans.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the amount under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.