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For these former students, student debt forgiveness will be life-changing

Students from George Washington University wear their graduation gowns outside of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 18, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds /AFP via Getty Images)
Students from George Washington University wear their graduation gowns outside of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 18, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds /AFP via Getty Images)

The Biden administration released a student debt forgiveness program, a plan that applies to former students who took out federal loans. Under the program that takes effect in January, eligible students will have between $10,000 and $20,000 of debt wiped out. Of course, there are critics — the Republican National Committee has called it a “bailout for the wealthy;” others argue it’ll fuel inflation.

Yet for millions of students and former students, it means relief. Among them are Orlando, Fla. resident John Palm and Baltimore, Md. resident Joe Hamilton. They join Here & Now‘s Jane Clayson to talk about what the debt cancellation will mean for them.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.