The Biden-Harris Administration announced on March 21 its plan to approve $5.8 billion dollars worth of student loan relief, pardoning approximately 77,700 Americans from completing these payments.

The cost of attending college presents a financial obstacle for many hopeful college students and their families. Part of Biden’s 2020 campaign agenda was to forgive undergraduate tuition related student loan debts from two and four-year public universities in an effort to relieve this heavy burden.

Biden has released numerous debt relief packages over the course of his presidential tenure; however, a delay in these payments prompted a message to 380,000 additional public service workers, notifying them their debts will be cleared within the next two years. This push for student loan forgiveness comes with the next presidential election just eight months away.

Pleasant Valley senior Brett Adams is worried about how student loans will leave a financial impact on the rest of his life. “I know a lot of people that end up making payments on student loans well into their 20s and 30s. Having to make those payments seems restrictive to me when you’re trying to raise a family, but right now I don’t see a clear path around the expense,” he said.

This new relief initiative falls under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, aimed towards erasing non-profit and government employee federal student loans. Biden views helping government workers as the first step in making college free for everyone.

“As someone who wants to teach, it’s promising when you look at who these relief packages are going to. Teachers have long been regarded as underpaid and I think these efforts by the President help combat that idea,” Adams adds.

Senior Christian Kountze, planning to attend the University of Iowa, shares his concern over the potential of taking out student loans. “Obviously having to take out loans is never ideal so if I’m able to pay for school through scholarships or FAFSA I’m going to do that first,” he said.

Kountze commented on the idea of free college for everyone. “I know plenty of people including my own parents who continued to pay off student loan debt well beyond their college years. I don’t want that holding me back so if Biden is willing to forgive these debts then I’m all for it,” he said.

As Pleasant Valley seniors approach graduation many will be faced with the steep prices of college tuition, forcing their hand on student loans. Student loan forgiveness is a highly controversial political topic and will remain an avid discussion point now and in future elections.