Biden administration to cancel $5.8bn in student debt for public service workers

Under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, 77,700 people working in government and non-profit jobs will see relief

The Department of Education announced on Thursday plans to cancel $5.8bn in student debt for 77,700 public service workers who qualify under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

The program, which was created in 2007, promises student debt cancellation to graduates working full-time in public service jobs in government and the non-profit sector. The program only went into effect in 2017 – but the Department of Education under the Trump administration rejected the vast majority of applicants for relief when it kicked in.