STUCK IN LIMBO: Student debt relief was a focal point for the Biden administration — but it’s unclear what will become of some of its programs under President-elect Donald Trump. There are currently two proposed rules that would grant debt relief for those experiencing economic hardship. One is blocked by the courts and the other is still in the early stages of the rulemaking process. One of their most popular student loan repayment programs known as SAVE, is also stuck in the courts, leaving about 8 million students in limbo. Trump has not publicly said what his next step would be on SAVE, but some conservative policy analysts expect him to do away with the plan altogether. An Education Department under Trump would likely “ halt the policy itself” making the lawsuits against it “null and void,” said Jonathan Butcher, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that authored Project 2025. Still, even if that were to happen, borrowers likely wouldn’t be expected to start making payments right away, said Scott Buchanan, who heads the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for loan servicers. There is coding and technical work that needs to be done to undo the SAVE plan. It’s unclear how long it would take, but it could be months, he said. “It certainly wouldn't be an overnight sort of reversal,” Buchanan added. “It's not a simple fix, if that's where the next administration goes.” But some advocates say hope isn’t lost for all of Biden’s student debt relief efforts. Mike Pierce, the executive director and co-founder of the Student Borrower Protection Center, points to rhetoric Trump used at the presidential debate and his rallies. He didn’t focus on blaming student loan borrowers or blaming Democrats for canceling student debt — instead, he chastised Vice President Kamala Harris for failing to deliver debt relief, Pierce noted. “That tells you how Donald Trump himself thinks about the politics of student debt. I wouldn’t be so quick to write off these debt cancellation programs,” Pierce said. “It seems like the former president understands that taking action that increases costs for working people is a political loser.” IT’S MONDAY, NOV. 11. WELCOME TO WEEKLY EDUCATION. I’m your host, Rebecca Carballo. Let’s get coffee: rcarballo@politico.com. The team: Bianca Quilantan at bquilantan@politico.com, Juan Perez Jr. at jperez@politico.com and Mackenzie Wilkes at mwilkes@politico.com. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
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