Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program on Thursday, calling it unconstitutional and unfair to Americans who did not incur significant education debt, describing it as a “divisive policy” that will only exacerbate already-rising inflation.
DeSantis, a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School, told reporters at a separate news conference that it was “very unfair” for a truck driver to be required to repay a loan for someone who earned a Ph.D. in gender studies. That’s not fair. That’s not right.”
According to DeSantis, the plan penalizes those who managed to pay off their college debts on their own.
“How many people are going to be impacted by the inflation and a very small number of people you’re looking at are going to get these loans paid for by taxpayers,” DeSantis said. “It doesn’t really make sense. It’s not a way to unify the country.”
The Governor lamented the enormous debt that has accumulated over the past two decades, saying that it allows universities to support bloated university budgets and sustain tuition price increases.
DeSantis stated that the universities themselves should bear the financial burden of the loan relief rather than the taxpayers.
DeSantis’ final criticism was the lack of reform to the educational financial system, which is a common complaint among policy experts. DeSantis expressed a desire to systematically overhaul the way higher education institutions manage their budgets and loan structures, calling it “out of whack.”
Toll fees reduction
The ostensible reason for the news conference was for DeSantis to announce a “Sun Pass Savings Program” offering commuters using the Florida Turnpike network and other toll roads owned by the Florida Department of Transportation $40 million in discounts.
President Biden announced a massive debt cancellation program on Wednesday, in which many people could get $10,000 forgiven — and even more for those in the greatest financial need.
Borrowers earning less than $125,000 per year will be eligible for loan forgiveness under the plan.
Those who received Federal Pell Grants, a type of need-based federal financial aid, are eligible for loan forgiveness of up to $20,000 per year.
Because student loan forgiveness does not have enough support in Congress, Biden will have to act via executive order. Questions remain not only about whether he has the authority to forgive loans but also about whether doing so would worsen inflation.
