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# Biden-Harris Administration Moves Forward with Student Debt Relief Negotiated Rulemaking to Deliver Support to as Many Borrowers as Possible as Quickly as Possible

# Biden-Harris Administration Moves Forward with Student Debt Relief Negotiated Rulemaking to Deliver Support to as Many Borrowers as Possible as Quickly as Possible

September 29, 2023

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
The  Biden-Harris Administration marked a critical step forward in its efforts to  deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible through negotiated  rulemaking under the Higher Education Act, even as extreme House Republicans  threaten a government shutdown that would hurt families, communities, and our  economy. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today released an issue paper laying out  its initial set of policy considerations to create a path to debt relief for  student loan borrowers in need. The paper identifies five questions about  distinct categories of affected borrowers for which the Department is seeking  feedback. This includes questions about borrowers whose balances are greater  than what they originally borrowed, whose loans first entered repayment decades  ago, who attended programs that did not provide sufficient financial value, who  are eligible for relief under programs like income-driven repayment but have  not applied, and borrowers who have experienced financial hardship and need  support, but for whom the current student loan system does not adequately  address.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has taken unprecedented action to fix  the broken student loan system and deliver record amounts of student debt  relief,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Now, we are  diligently moving through the regulatory process to advance debt relief for  even more borrowers. Today, after considering more than 26,000 public comments  on how to tailor this relief, we are releasing this additional information about  this effort. We’re committed to standing up for borrowers and making sure that  student debt does not stop anyone from climbing the economic ladder and  pursuing the American dream.”

The debt relief issue paper will be discussed at the first meeting of  the Student Loan Relief Committee, which is scheduled to take place October 10  and 11. The committee will be comprised of non-federal negotiators from 14  affected constituency groups, as well as a negotiator from the Department.  During the session, the non-federal negotiators will provide input on the  policy considerations and questions outlined by the Department, as well as  identify any new proposals they may have. Members of the public will also have  an opportunity to provide comments at the end of each day. Through this  process, the Department will continue to develop regulatory text for  consideration. The committee is also scheduled to meet in November and  December. The public will have an opportunity to submit written comments on the  draft rules when they are published next year.

The Department is also releasing a list of the  individuals who will serve on the negotiating committee, which can be found here. These individuals  were chosen based upon review of the nominations received in response to the  Department’s request for nominations. We are still looking for individuals who  can serve as alternate negotiators for two constituencies: (1) state officials,  including state higher education executive officers, state authorizing agencies,  and state regulators of institutions of higher education and (2) Historically  Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and  Minority-Serving Institutions (institutions of higher education eligible to  receive federal assistance under Title III, Parts A and F, and Title V of the  Higher Education Act of 1965).

Individuals who wish to represent these constituencies or  organizations that wish to nominate someone for these constituencies should  email negregnominations@ed.gov before October 6.  Submissions should include the information originally requested for nominees,  which can be found here. This includes  contact information, evidence of expertise, and a resume. From these  submissions, the Department will make a selection for the unfilled alternate  negotiator positions and ask the committee for its consensus approval during  its first meeting.

Updates on the  student debt relief rulemaking process will be posted here. Members of the  public who wish to view the sessions or provide public testimony can also find  a link on that page closer to the committee’s meetings where they can register  to do so.

**Continuing  to provide debt relief and support borrowers**

Today’s announcement builds on the work the Biden-Harris  Administration has already done to improve the student loan program and make  higher education more affordable. This includes approving $117 billion in  relief for more than 3.4 million borrowers, including:
- $39 billion for 804,000       borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness through Income-Driven Repayment       by fixing historical inaccuracies in the count of payments that qualify       toward forgiveness.
- $45.7 billion for       662,000 public servants through Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs.
- $10.5 billion for almost       491,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability; and
- $22 billion for nearly       1.3 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their       institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court       settlements.

The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to  making college more affordable and ensuring student debt is not a roadblock to  attaining a college degree or credential or planning for the future. The  Administration launched the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever –  the SAVE Plan – earlier this year, has made the largest increase to Pell Grants  in a decade, and has charted a course to double the maximum Pell Grant and make  community college free to enhance college affordability and reduce unnecessary student  debt. The Administration is also holding institutions accountable for  unaffordable debts and recently proposed regulations that would set standards  for earnings and debt outcomes for career programs while enhancing transparency  for all programs to give students the information they need to make informed  choices.
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