Leave the Student Loan Forgiveness Program Alone Already

There’s been a setback to President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. A federal appeals court has blocked the initiative and has stalled the administration’s attempts to reimburse 26 million qualified candidates for any tuition costs they’re still responsible for.

That’s too bad, if you ask me. At a time when the cost of tuition has discouraged more and more youth from enrolling in higher ed, I believe the student loan forgiveness program is the right incentive to get them thinking about continuing their education. There’s no better time than the present to get aspiring kids thinking about finishing their education.

If you really think about it, what is the alternative? Either we sit by and watch the number of college students continue to dramatically drop year-over-year or watch them continue to sit in tuition debt for the rest of their adult lives. Let’s face it, the cost of higher education continues to grow, including at local universities and colleges. After the pandemic, there were several small universities that announced they were raising tuition to cover overhead costs, as though the skyrocketing cost of tuition wasn’t enough to do it.

No, stalling the tuition reimbursement initiative is bad for America’s future, and it’s even worse for America’s children. There was a time when walking down the aisle for a college diploma was a fantasy for many, especially those who lived in low income households, but now it’s become an afterthought for those from every socioeconomic background.  Allowing those qualified for reimbursement to receive their money will continue the government’s good faith effort to help the mainstream American family with its financial woes, an effort started to help millions of people through the pandemic, especially at a time when the country is still healing from a period of stagnating growth and an uncertain future.