Appeals Court Blocks Biden-Era Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

The Eighth Circuit says the Biden administration went beyond the law by canceling loans rather than ensuring repayment.
Appeals Court Blocks Biden-Era Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
President Joe Biden gestures after speaking at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wis., on April 8, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
|Updated:
A federal appellate court has blocked key provisions of former President Joe Biden’s student debt relief initiative, ruling that the Department of Education overstepped its legal authority in implementing broad loan forgiveness through its income-contingent repayment (ICR) plan.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued the decision on Feb. 18, affirming a lower court’s preliminary injunction against the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. The program is designed to lower monthly payments and accelerate forgiveness for some borrowers.