The President Joe Biden-led US Government on Thursday extended its student loan forgiveness program by cancelling the loans of an additional 35,000 Americans.
The latest move — amounting to $1.2 billion in student debt — brings to 4.76 million the number of people “who benefitted from our various debt relief actions”, Biden said in a statement.
President Biden announced debt cancellation for a range of professionals including teachers, nurses, police officials, and first responders, with each borrower receiving an average of $35,000 in debt relief.
This announcement coincided with the final day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination for the upcoming election.
In his remarks, Biden pledged to continue efforts to make higher education affordable, despite opposition from Republican officials.
Earlier in the year, Biden introduced new plans to reduce student loan debt for millions of Americans, targeting young voters.
This move followed the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court’s decision last year to strike down his previous proposals to cancel several hundred billion dollars of debt.
Last month, Biden announced debt cancellation for 160,000 individuals, adding to the 150,000 others who received relief earlier in the year.
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