Yesterday, following Senator Reverend Warnock’s urging, the Department of Education took new steps to ensure students with financial hardship are not crushed by student loan debt

Last month, the Senator pushed Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to host a fourth session of the student debt negotiated rulemaking to consider relief for borrowers experiencing financial hardship.

Senator Reverend Warnock, a Pell Grant and low-interest student loan recipient, has championed student debt relief since his entering the U.S. Senate

Thanks to the Senator’s leadership, the Biden Administration has canceled $137 billion in student debt for 3.7 million Americans

Senator Reverend Warnock: “This announcement, following my years of advocacy, will support our economy and help put money back in the pockets of thousands of Georgians and Americans”

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, following U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA)’s urging, the Department of Education took new steps to ensure students with financial hardship are not crushed by student loan debt. According to the Department of Education, the newly proposed regulatory text focuses on providing debt relief for borrowers facing hardship on their student loans. Last month, the Senator pushed Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to host a fourth session of the student debt negotiated rulemaking to consider relief for borrowers experiencing financial hardship. The Senator relied on Pell Grants and low-interest student loans to become the first in his family to graduate with a four-year degree.  

“As a Pell Grant recipient and the first in my family to go to college, I know the doors that higher education can open—but only if you can afford it,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “This announcement, following my years of advocacy, will support our economy and help put money back in the pockets of thousands of Georgians and Americans. I’m going to continue pushing the Administration to look for ways to eliminate the crushing burden of student loan debt while also working to lower the cost of higher education.” 

Senator Reverend Warnock has long advocated for the White House to address the student loan crisis. Last August, the Senator pushed President Biden to swiftly deliver on his promise to deliver student debt cancellation to working and middle-class families by early 2024 following the misguided SCOTUS decision overturning the President’s student debt cancellation. Also in July 2023, the Senator urged the Education Secretary to take steps to provide assistance to incarcerated individuals burdened by student loan debt. 

The Senator’s leadership on student debt relief dates back to the Senator’s first term, when in December, April, and August of 2022, Senator Warnock called on the Biden Administration to extend a pause on payments and cancel student debt. At a March 2022 Democratic retreat, the Senator pressed the President to cancel student debt. In April 2022, as a result of the Senator’s April 2021 letter, the Department of Education also announced it would restore defaulted student loans to on-time status amid the ongoing payment pause. Later that month, Senator Warnock joined his colleagues in requesting additional details from the Department of Education on its plans to provide student borrowers a “fresh start.” Senator Warnock told Morehouse graduates during his commencement address in May 2022 that he was pushing President Biden to cancel some student loan debt, and days later, met with President Biden in the Oval Office and urged him to take swift action to address student debt.

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