Biden Says 16 Million Near Student-Debt Relief as GOP Fights Aid

Some 16 million applications for student debt relief will be approved by this week, provided the White House plan survives court challenges, President Joe Biden said Thursday.

Almost 26 million people have applied for up to $20,000 in debt forgiveness since the White House launched the student loan forgiveness application on Oct. 17, Biden said in a series of tweets. Of those applications, a total of 16 million will have been pre-approved by the end of this week.

“That’s 16 million Americans, so far, who should be seeing student debt relief in the coming days,” Biden said. “But that relief is on hold — because Republican elected officials are doing everything they can to deny it, even to their own constituents.”

Last month, I launched the application for our Administration’s student debt relief.

Close to 26 million Americans have already given us the information to be considered for this life-changing relief.

And, as of this week, @usedgov will have approved 16 million applications.

— President Biden (@POTUS) November 3, 2022

Biden plans to speak on debt relief on Thursday at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque. Biden is highlighting the issue, popular with the younger voters Democrats need to motivate, just days ahead of key midterm elections that will determine control of both houses of Congress and the fate of Biden's legislative agenda.