Biden’s student loan decision down to wire, leaving millions in the dark

With just one week before student loan payments theoretically start up again for 45 million people, the Biden administration has so far left both borrowers and loan servicers in the dark. After nearly two-and-a-half years of a payment pause, the looming August 31 deadline has both parties scrambling for answers and time.

“The fact that it’s waited this long, we’re sort of cutting it this close, is kind of unprecedented in my opinion,” said Lindsay Clark, director of external affairs for Savi, a tech startup helping student loan borrowers navigate existing loan forgiveness programs.

“Most importantly for borrowers, it’s about clarity, right?” Clark continued. “Whether or not he’s going to forgive $10,000 or not, whether he’s going to turn payments back on or not, borrowers just need to know.”

They’re not the only ones. Since the start of the pandemic payment pause, loan servicers have found out about student loan decisions the same time as the rest of the public.

“We have not been given advance notice about that, and we’re the ones who actually have to do the work of implementing those programs,” said Scott Buchanan, executive director of the trade group Student Loan Servicing Alliance.

“These things are going to take months to figure out,” he added.

That’s time the Biden administration has so far not given anyone. While the White House has repeatedly said a decision would be made before the August 31 payment resumption date, no official guidance has gone out. So far, servicers have only been told not to contact borrowers regarding payments that would be due this coming month.

Multiple media reports indicate the president plans to make an announcement this week regarding an additional extension in the payment pause and possible loan cancellation for qualified borrowers.

“If there is some announcement about loan forgiveness, probably when you log into your account tomorrow, the balance is going to be the same,” Buchanan said.

“I think we’re in for a real couple of tumultuous months after something like this is announced and trying to figure out where the pieces fall, how we can make sure that all borrowers who are supposed to benefit are actually benefiting,” Clark said.

If current loan forgiveness programs are any indication, that could be the most cumbersome part of all.