LITTLE ROCK, AR (KATV) — On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona traveled to Arkansas to discuss student debt forgiveness at a roundtable in Little Rock.
In line with the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to reforming the student loan system, he spent time speaking with borrowers who have been approved for relief through major forgiveness programs such as PSLF, IDR, SAVE, and TPD.
Related article: Biden's student loan forgiveness plan will save Arkansans $8.7 million
During his visit, Cardona spoke in an exclusive one-on-one interview with KATV's Beth Hunt, saying the trip is part of the Biden-Harris administration's efforts to fix the broken student loan system.
“I'm a parent of a high school senior myself, so I went through the same thing not only as a secretary, but as a parent as well. The system hadn't been touched in 40 years, so it was time to overhaul it. ,” Cardona said. .
The Biden administration has already canceled more debt than any administration in history.
To date, the administration has approved debt cancellation for 4.3 million hardworking Americans, totaling approximately $146 billion in relief.
Cardona outlined the plan in an interview, highlighting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and its bipartisan roots dating back to 2007.
“The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Plan states that if you serve the public, most public servants serve for 10 years and are eligible for debt forgiveness because paying off your loans will not make you a millionaire. ” He said.
Related article: Biden administration cancels student loans for 206,000 additional borrowers under SAVE plan
Ahead of Cardona's visit to the Natural State, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders took aim at the visit and harshly criticized the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness program.
“Your department has been a constant source of frustration for Americans and Arkansans. We welcome your visit to our state,” Sanders wrote in a letter to Cardona's office Monday. “I'm concerned that this trip will only highlight some Americans and some Arkansans.” This is your administration's worst mistake. ”
During an interview with KATV, Cardona took time to address the criticism.
“I feel like there’s a lot of hypocrisy on the part of some of the people who have challenged us.Republicans themselves have benefited from debt forgiveness.And I think there’s a lot of hypocrisy on the part of some of the people who have challenged us. “I think you're talking about the tax cuts being unfair to me,” Cardona told KATV.
Related article: Attorney General Tim Griffin joins lawsuit against Biden's student loan forgiveness plan
Mr. Cardona expresses confidence in the legality of debt relief plans and discusses efforts to address college affordability and FAFSA challenges.
Student loan borrowers in Arkansas have received more than $8.7 million in debt forgiveness, according to data released by the Biden-Harris administration.
The U.S. Department of Education is expected to continue its efforts to identify and forgive loans for borrowers regularly enrolled in SAVE.
