Summary
The fate of student debt relief promised for some 40 million Americans is in the hands of the Supreme Court. The justices heard arguments in high-stakes cases over the legality of President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. John Yang discussed the arguments with NewsHour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of The Washington Post. For a transcript of this story, click here . News wrap alternative : Check out the latest segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching! You can make a Google doc copy of our Five Facts and discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.Five Facts
- What is President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, and who does it effect?
- W hen was Biden's plan announced?
- Who are some of the people or political entities that sued to stop the loan forgiveness plan?
- How is the plan unconstitutional, according to those arguing against it?
- Why does the Biden administration believe it has the right to forgive federal student loans without Congress passing a law about it?
Focus Questions
Debate over student loan forgiveness has often centered on ideas of "fairness," with critics claiming it isn't fair for some to have loans forgiven while others have sacrificed to pay off their loans. The Supreme Court also asked questions today about fairness, but some justices pointed out that other COVID relief programs weren't necessarily fair or evenly distributed either. Do you think the "fairness" of the loan forgiveness program should impact whether or not it's considered constitutional? Why or why not? Media literacy : Why do you think two separate experts were brought on to discuss this case? Alternative : See, Think, Wonder : What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?For More
What students can do: Discuss as a class how student loans work, and why student loan debt has increased dramatically in recent years.- You can learn more about how student loan debt has risen to crisis levels in the U.S. by watching this video below, and hear from students and experts on the crisis .
Student Video of the Day: "College-bound students weigh their options amid rising cost of loans" via Student Reporting Labs
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