Officials from President Donald Trump’s administration recently announced the Education Department will begin collection on student loans in default beginning next month, according to the Associated Press (AP).
This stands in sharp contrast to former President Joe Biden’s actions regarding student loans, who extended loan pauses through the majority of his term and oversaw ultimately unsuccessful efforts for sweeping loan forgiveness. I feel such a sudden right turn is unfair to student loan borrowers and indicates a lack of basic human compassion on the part of the department’s current administration.
The main argument behind this change is the same as the argument at the root of the student loan issue as a whole; Trump and his lackeys are arguing that loan forgiveness or pauses are unfair to all the American taxpayers whose money is going toward filling the gaps left by helping students get an education.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said, “American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” according to the AP.
Personally, as both a taxpayer and a student, I would be thrilled to have more of my tax money dedicated to supporting accessible or even free higher education for everyone in this country. Even for those who disagree, however, I believe the conclusion should be clear that borrowers need more time to adapt to these policy changes.
The initial pause on loan payments and interest accrual was enacted by Trump in his first presidential term. That alone shows the significant length of time for which this policy of relative leniency on loan collection has been in place. Students struggling with their already crushing debt cannot be reasonably expected to have collection thrown at them so suddenly and survive.
To make matters worse, Kristin McGuire, executive director for Young Invincibles, told the AP layoffs at the Federal Student Aid office have made it so there is nobody available to answer borrowers’ questions about how to prepare for these changes. Once again, Trump and Elon Musk’s supposed “government efficiency” is hanging the most vulnerable people in American society out to dry.
The renewed rise of Trump’s brand of conservatism is promoting a spontaneous and purposefully cruel method of governance. The impact of taking an extra month or two to properly inform borrowers of what they need to do to brace their financial situation would likely be negligible, but for these officials, it is about more than getting the job done. It is about sending the message to borrowers their time, their education and their lives are not considered worth the basic respect it would require to give them half a fighting chance. It is born of hatred for those who dare to imagine a future for themselves.
I promise any fellow taxpayers who feel angry about the idea of student loan pauses or debt forgiveness that the level of hatred for student borrowers that these government officials are trying to inspire is unwarranted. These are your neighbors, your friends, your family members, and they want a better life for themselves just like anyone else. I encourage anyone to look for the compassion in their heart to support at least a more gradual transition from the leniency of the past four years to this new era of collection.
Charlotte King can be contacted at
cking@kscequinox.com
