Feds propose ‘student loan safety net’ alongside forgiveness

President Joe Biden speaks about border security in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris stands at left. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is moving forward with a proposal that would lower student debt payments for millions of Americans now and in the future. It’s offering a new route to repay federal loans under far more generous terms. President Joe Biden announced the plan in August, but it was overshadowed by his sweeping plan to slash or eliminate student debt for 40 million Americans. Education Department officials on Tuesday called the new plan a “student loan safety net” that’ll prevent borrowers from getting overloaded with debt. The Democratic president is moving forward with the repayment plan even as his one-time debt cancellation faces an uncertain fate before the Supreme Court.