The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, established in 2007, has recently granted relief to over one million public workers, a dramatic increase from just 7,000 approvals prior to updates by the Biden administration.

Despite these efforts, Biden's broader student loan cancellation plans, which aimed to forgive up to $20,000 for 40 million Americans, faced legal challenges and were blocked by the Supreme Court last year.

Legal challenges continue to threaten recent student loan relief initiatives, including a new repayment plan called SAVE, which is currently facing opposition from Republican-led states.

Overall, the Biden administration has canceled a total of $175 billion in student loans for approximately 5 million borrowers, with the PSLF program accounting for the largest share of this relief.

Among those benefiting from this relief is Kelly Bickford, a first-generation college student and kindergarten teacher, who was surprised by Biden's announcement that her student loans would be forgiven.

Vice President Kamala Harris has criticized Republican opposition to student debt relief and reaffirmed the administration's commitment to making higher education more affordable.

Following these changes, the Education Department permanently revised the rules in 2022, resulting in a significant increase in loan cancellation approvals.

This surge in approvals follows the Biden administration's announcement that over one million borrowers in public service have received student debt relief.

The PSLF program promises to forgive the remaining federal student loans of graduates after ten years of qualifying work in government or nonprofit roles.

Recognizing the program's previous shortcomings, the Biden administration labeled the PSLF program as 'broken' and initiated a temporary waiver in 2021 to help borrowers receive credit for past deferments and forbearances.

On October 17, 2024, President Biden announced this milestone, emphasizing the administration's commitment to fulfilling promises made to public servants like teachers, firefighters, and nurses.

This announcement comes just weeks before the U.S. presidential election on November 5, underscoring its electoral significance.