Lauren Dube

Media Writing CM105-01

Feature Story

Student Loan Forgiveness

We all know college is expensive, so how many of you were excited to get some of your student
loans taken away? Then how many of you were disappointed to hear that student loan
forgiveness was no longer going to happen? Well, here’s some good news for you.

Even if President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan doesn’t work, there are still some
state forgiveness plans that American Citizens can access.

47 states, plus Washington D.C., have their own state-based loan forgiveness plans. Each
program within the state is slightly different, but most of them are tailored towards a single
industry or professions. Some of these professions are ones like doctors, teachers, police
officers, farmers, or people who agree to work in places that have a dire need for their services.

Biden’s proposal for student loan forgiveness was to cancel up to $20,000 of student debt for
each qualified borrower, but if the Supreme Court turns his proposal down, it’s important that
Americans have a backup plan.

College student Conner Moniz explained “I was excited when Biden first announced the student
loan forgiveness, and I had already filled out the application, but then all these qualifications
kept coming and suddenly no one I knew even qualified anymore. It was so annoying.”

The state of Massachusetts has multiple student loan forgiveness programs that are specific
just to Massachusetts.

One program is the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program for Health Professionals. This
program is offered to primary health care professionals, like people in the dental, medical, and
mental health care professions.

The goal of this program is to provide educational loan repayment as an incentive for health
professions to practice in communities where there are significant shortages of health care
providers and barriers to access health care.

Future nurse Abigail Koziol said “it’s nice to know that there are options for me going into the
health care profession because nursing school is expensive, especially if I want to become an
RN or APN.”

There are multiple requirements for this program, imclding being a US citizen, agreeing to
provide primary health services to any individual seeking care, having a current non-restricted
license to practice in Massachusetts, not having an outstanding contractual obligation for health
professional service to the to the Federal Government, as well as a couple others.

It is important for Americans to have a back up plan, especially since student loan payments are
expected to resume either 60 days after the Supreme Court issues a decision on the relief
program, or 60 days after June 30th, whichever comes first.

It is important for Americans to have a back up plan for their student loan payments due to the
fact that payments have been paused for over three years.

Stay tuned for the Supreme Court Decision coming in the next couple of months.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/22/bidens-loan-forgiveness-to-be-blocked-supreme-court-
experts-predict-.html

https://thecollegeinvestor.com/student-loan-forgiveness-programs-by-state/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2023/04/21/states-student-debt-
forgiveness/11706178002/