04.19.22

Chairman Scott Statement on Education Department Plan to Support Student Loan Borrowers in Income-Driven Repayment

WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced major fixes to improve the Income-Driven Repayment program. 

“The Department of Education’s announcement marks a key milestone toward ensuring that Income-Driven Repayment delivers on its promise to student loan borrowers. Just last week, Senate HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray and I urged the Department to repair the long-standing gaps in our safety net for low-income borrowers, which have left borrowers without a clear path to the forgiveness they are entitled to under the Higher Education Act.

“Today’s announcement means that borrowers in Income-Driven Repayment will finally have reliable access to the loan forgiveness that they were promised and have been working toward. This is particularly critical as student loan borrowers across the country continue to face rising costs due to the pandemic and the risk of defaulting on their loans.

“However, while the Department has taken a significant step to support borrowers, we know we must do more to fix our broken student loan system, including the Income-Driven Repayment program. We cannot expect borrowers to return to a student loan system that has failed to meet their needs. I will continue working with the Department to ensure that the student loan program works as intended and that borrowers receive the forgiveness to which they are entitled.”

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