Biden Administration Prepares for Student Debt Relief Negotiations

Inside Higher Ed

Katherine Knott

October 2, 2023

The U.S. Education Department is gearing up to hold meetings in two weeks on how to provide debt relief to federal student loan borrowers, especially now that a potential government shutdown has been at least temporarily averted.

The Biden administration announced Friday who will serve on the advisory negotiated rule-making committee that will discuss how to change federal regulations to offer debt relief and offered a glimpse at what those discussions might look like. The announcement came a day before the potential shutdown, which Congress averted with a last-minute measure to keep the government open for 45 days. Student loan payments also resumed Sunday.

Zayn Siddique, deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, on a call with reporters Friday morning, said the administration is committed to moving forward as fast as possible.

Friday’s announcement marks the next step in a lengthy and complicated process that the Education Department has to go through to issue new rules or regulations. After the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loans for eligible Americans, the administration moved forward on an alternative plan to provide relief.

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