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Supreme Court justices question student loan forgiveness plan

Key updates
Gorsuch probes ‘fairness’ of debt relief to those who didn’t borrow
Thomas says cancellation may infringe on Congress’s appropriation authority
The ‘major questions doctrine’ and why it matters
Supreme Court Justice's Samuel Alito and John G. Roberts Jr. on Feb. 28 questioned the fairness of of providing loan forgiveness to some and not to others. (Video: The Washington Post)
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Updated February 28, 2023 at 3:03 p.m. EST|Published February 28, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. EST
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The Supreme Court has wrapped up more than three hours of debate over the Biden administration’s power to wipe out nearly a half a trillion dollars in student loan debt without direct authorization from Congress.

The court’s conservative justices, who hold a 6-3 majority on the court, expressed skepticism about Biden’s authority, with several questioning the fairness of a program that helps some borrowers, but not others.

Liberal justices, meanwhile, defended the Education Department’s right to forgive loan debt as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. And they voiced doubts about whether the six Republican-led states and two individuals who brought the legal challenges are specifically harmed by the debt-relief program, which they must be in order to have legal grounds to stop it.

Gorsuch probes ‘fairness’ of debt relief to those who didn’t borrow
Thomas says cancellation may infringe on Congress’s appropriation authority
The ‘major questions doctrine’ and why it matters

Here’s what to know

  • More than 40 million Americans could be affected by Biden’s initiative, which would eliminate up to $10,000 of student debt for borrowers earning up to $125,000 annually, or up to $250,000 for married couples.
  • Student debt is most prevalent among Americans aged 25 to 34. Sixty-seven percent of student loan borrowers are under 40, according to the New York Federal Reserve, but only 57 percent of balances are owed by those under 40.
  • The court will hand down a ruling before finishing its current term, which usually concludes by the end of June. However, the court accepted these two cases on an expedited basis, and the justices are known to move a little faster when they do that.
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Here's what to know:

More than 40 million Americans could be affected by Biden’s initiative, which would eliminate up to $10,000 of student debt for borrowers earning up to $125,000 annually, or up to $250,000 for married couples.
Student debt is most prevalent among Americans aged 25 to 34. Sixty-seven percent of student loan borrowers are under 40, according to the New York Federal Reserve, but only 57 percent of balances are owed by those under 40.
The court will hand down a ruling before finishing its current term, which usually concludes by the end of June. However, the court accepted these two cases on an expedited basis, and the justices are known to move a little faster when they do that.

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Student loan forgiveness

The latest: At a hearing, conservative Supreme Court justices seemed highly skeptical of President Biden’s debt relief plan. To date, Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is on ice after a Texas judge blocked the student debt relief plan.

Calculate your eligibility: We tackled everything you need to know about the debt relief plan. Use this calculator to see how much of your student loan debt can be forgiven. Here’s what to expect in the student loan forgiveness application.

The opponents: What is happening to student loan forgiveness? A federal appeals court temporarily halted the student debt relief program. Six Republican-led states are also suing to overturn President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. An Indiana lawsuit was the first significant legal action seeking to invalidate Biden’s policy.

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