ATLANTA — The US Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s plan Friday to offer up to $20,000 in student debt relief, leaving more than half a million Georgians back on the hook for their student loans.
Some people think students needed that relief because college has become so expensive, and the loans are too. Others think the students knew what they were getting into and that taxpayers shouldn’t have to bail them out.
Jason Jarrett graduated from Georgia State University without any student loans. And while he has mixed feelings about the ruling, he said that he also doesn’t want to have to pay a debt that isn’t his.
“Adults need to make decisions about their life and understand that these things cost money, and there are debts you have to pay, and it’s really not for the rest of society’s job to pay those debts,” Jarrett said.
Samantha Tilley still has student debt from two different universities. While she says getting some debt relief would’ve been nice, she fully expects to pay it off herself.
“It would have been nice to have been relieved from that debt because it is so expensive. Then, also, too, I feel like, I knew what I was getting into myself, so I feel that it’s my responsibility,” Tilley said.
Georgia Tech freshman Heewon Eum doesn’t have any student loan debt yet, but he still doesn’t much care for this ruling.
“Education should be as accessible to as many people as possible, and by the supreme court striking this down, you’re giving more power to an already predatory industry which is student loans,” Eum said.
Dekalb elementary school counselor Patrice Samm admitted the relief package would have barely made a dent into her $172,000 of student loan debt.
Still, she told Elliot it would have been nice.
“15 years into my career and at almost my maximum earning potential and still don’t even make half of what it is I owe,” Samm said.
The Biden administration said 1 million Georgians still have some kind of student loan, averaging about $41,000 each.
More than 600,000 already applied for debt relief that now will not come.
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