BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 22 other attorneys general, are calling on U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona to address student loan debt.
In a letter to Cardona, the coalition of attorneys general are calling for "additional reforms to ease the process of paying student loans." It also calls for protections for student loan borrowers from having to pay back funds to "for-profit and now defunct colleges."
Additional policy actions requested in the letter include:
- continuing to suspend student loan payments, as well as waiving interest fees, for as long as necessary;
- allowing suspended payments to count towards the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and income-driven repayment plan forgiveness;
- continuing to suspend involuntary collections activities;
- and allowing student loan borrowers to have more affordable monthly payments.
“With more than $1.7 trillion in student debt owed by students across the country, now is the time for us to take bold action to end this crisis and provide our students with the tools they need to move forward,” Attorney General James said.
“We need to make attaining a higher education more accessible and that begins with affordability. Imagine what could be achieved without the heavy burden of student loan debt. I encourage the Biden-Harris Administration to keep all options on the table, including loan cancellation.”
You can read the full letter below:
