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The Biden administration began notifying applicants who have been approved for student loan exemptions.
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The reports came after the administration asked the Supreme Court to bail out its debt relief plan.
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The lower court has previously halted the implementation of the program.
A day after asking the Supreme Court to bail out the student loan forgiveness plan, the Biden administration has begun notifying a number of applicants that they have been approved.
On Saturday, the Department of Education began sending emails to borrowers, notifying them of their approval for debt relief, and also providing details of lawsuits delaying implementation of the program.
In an email reviewed by Insider, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona wrote, “We have reviewed your application and determined that you are eligible for loan reduction under the plan. We have forwarded this approval to your loan manager. You do not need to take any further action.”
Cardona added that the government believes the lawsuits are worthless and the Justice Department has appealed on behalf of borrowers. “Your application is complete and approved, and we will forgive your approved debt if and when we are victorious in court,” Cardona wrote.
On Friday, the Justice Department urged the Supreme Court to allow Biden’s plan to proceed after a lower court blocked it in October. Biden’s plan would forgive up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers.
The filing asked the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling handed down Monday by an appeals court that continued the suspension of the debt relief program. The lawsuit was brought by six states led by Republicans who argued that the government is overstepping its executive powers and that they could suffer financial losses as a result of the pardon plan.
According to the Biden administration, about 26 million people have applied for student loan exemptions and 16 million of those applications have been approved. After being suspended during the pandemic, student loan payments will resume in January.
Read the original article on Business Insider
