UTC students, staff respond to student debt relief

Certain borrowers will see $10,000 of their student debt canceled

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — On Wednesday, President Biden announced a three-part student relief plan to cancel $10,000 of student debt for low-to middle-income borrowers.

Naturally, there were plenty of students excited to hear that a significant portion of their debt was being addressed by Washington.

The Biden administration says the Department of Education will provide up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients.

Borrowers are eligible for such relief if their individual income is less than $125,000 or if they’re married and make less than $250,000 with their spouse.

One UTC staff member said that, thanks to the actions of the President, she is now debt-free.

“I’m feeling incredibly relieved,” said Lucy White, UTC’s Asst. Director for Education in Suicide Prevention. “I’ve worked hard for this day. I didn’t know it was going to come this soon. But I’ve had the burden of paying debt alongside trying to build a career. So it’s incredibly relieving.”

“It’s a big relief,” said UTC Freshman Zoe Sasser. “I want to be a physical therapist so I know I’m looking forward to grad school, med school and all that kind of stuff. Knowing that I don’t have to worry about it as much for a little while is really relieving. Anything helps, really, and this feels like a step in the right direction for the country.”

According to educationdata.org, the average Tennesseean borrower currently has an average of 36.4 thousand dollars in student loan debt.

The Biden Administration believes this move will provide families with “breathing room” following economic troubles brought on by the pandemic.