Most College Students Would Feel Angry If SCOTUS Blocks Student Loan Forgiveness
Credit: Image Credit: Drew Angerer/Staff / Getty Images News- The majority of all college students (65%) support some form of large-scale student loan forgiveness.
- Support for loan forgiveness is especially high among women (68%) and LGBTQ+ students (75%).
- Students are split in their trust of the Supreme Court: Nearly 40% say they don’t trust SCOTUS to make the right decision on student loan forgiveness.
- Almost half of students (47%) who took out loans after the June 30, 2022 cutoff date mistakenly believe themselves to be eligible for loan forgiveness.
- A higher percentage of graduate students than undergraduates (51% vs. 36%) say they took out loans by the eligibility cutoff date of June 30, 2022.
- Distrust in the Supreme Court’s ultimate decision on student loan forgiveness is highest among LGBTQ+ students, white students, women, and graduate students.
In August 2022, President Biden announced his student loan forgiveness plan, which would cancel up to $20,000 of student debt for those making less than $125,000 a year. Since then, two lawsuits have put Biden’s program on pause, threatening hopes of debt forgiveness for millions of borrowers.
In anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision determining the fate of the program, BestColleges surveyed 1,000 current undergraduate and graduate students and found that the majority (56%) of students would be angry or disappointed if the Supreme Court were to block Biden’s plan.
Meanwhile, less than one-third (32%) trust the Supreme Court to make the right decision with respect to the proposed loan forgiveness program.
Survey results also show that there is still some confusion about program eligibility, especially when it comes to the federal loan cutoff dates.
Student Support of Loan Forgiveness
Overall, 65% of students agreed that they supported some form of large-scale student loan forgiveness with 40% strongly agreeing. Around 14% of students disagree with large-scale loan forgiveness, and 21% answer that they feel neutral.
Support for loan forgiveness is slightly higher among women than men (68% vs. 60%). Support is especially high among LGBTQ+ students (75%).
Almost half (48%) of all students disagree that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in attempting to cancel student loans. The figure is again higher for LGBTQ+ students (61%). More white than BIPOC students disagreed with the statement (51% vs. 42%).
About one-quarter of all students (24%) say that the Biden administration overstepped its authority, and 29% remain neutral.
Students Split Over Trusting the Supreme Court to Make the Right Call
While generally supportive of loan forgiveness, students are divided on whether they trust the Supreme Court to make the right decision come decision time.
Roughly one-third of students (37%) say that they do not trust the Supreme Court to make the right decision, another third (32%) express that they do, and the last third (31%) answer they are neutral.
LGBTQ+ students are more likely than straight students to distrust that the Supreme Court will make the right decision (51% vs. 32%). A higher percentage of white students than BIPOC students (42% vs. 29%), women than men (41% vs. 31%), and graduates than undergraduates (37% vs. 30%) answer that they do not trust the Supreme Court to make the right decision.
Students’ low trust in SCOTUS on the topic of student loan forgiveness mirrors survey responses we’ve seen in the past regarding legally contested student issues. Last fall, just 34% of college students said they trusted the Supreme Court to make the right decision regarding affirmative action.
Nearly Half of Students Who Took Loans After Cutoff Date Mistakenly Believe They’re Eligible for Loan Forgiveness
Biden’s program outlines that those who took out federal loans prior to June 30, 2022, and make less than $125,000 per year are eligible for loan forgiveness. Those who made student loan payments from March 2020 and make less than $125,000 can get refunds for their payments.
In our survey, only 39% of students report having federal loans taken out before June 30, 2022, making them eligible for loan forgiveness under Biden’s plan if they also make less than $125,000 annually as an individual.
Alarmingly, almost half of students (47%) who took out loans after June 30, 2022, still mistakenly believe themselves to be eligible for loan forgiveness.
| I currently have federal student loans I took out before June 30, 2022, and make less than $125,000 per year for myself. | Eligible |
|---|---|
| I took out or applied for federal student loans after June 30, 2022. | Ineligible |
| I paid off my federal student loans during the pandemic-related payment pause that started in March 2020 and make less than $125,000 per year for myself. | Eligible to receive a refund for payments made during this time |
| I paid off my federal student loans before March 2020. | Ineligible |
Grad Students May Benefit More From Debt Relief Than Undergrads
Graduate students generally express greater support for loan forgiveness than undergraduates. They also have more debt, indicating that they may have more at stake when the Supreme Court issues its ruling.
More graduate students than undergraduates (51% vs. 36%) say they took out loans by the cutoff date of June 30, 2022. Graduate students also report having no federal loans or having paid off their loans before March 2020 at a lower rate than undergraduates (36% vs. 49%).
More graduate students than undergraduates (42% vs. 37%) report that they would be negatively affected if the Supreme Court were to block Biden’s loan forgiveness plan. More graduate students than undergraduates (59% vs. 55%) also respond that they would feel angry or disappointed if the Supreme Court blocked some or all aspects of Biden’s loan forgiveness program.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, those who completed a master’s degree in 2015-2016 had an average graduate school loan amount of $66,000. Among Ph.D. graduates, the average loan amount was well over $100,000. The average undergraduate debt amount was significantly less at $26,190 around the same time.
The disparity between graduate and undergraduate debt amounts may account for graduate students’ stronger support of loan forgiveness.
Strong LGBTQ+ Student Support of Loan Forgiveness
LGBTQ+ students’ strong support for loan forgiveness does not appear to stem from loan forgiveness eligibility. Only 37% of LGBTQ+ students answer that they believe themselves to be eligible for Biden’s loan forgiveness plan, lower than the 44% of straight students.
LGBTQ+ students in our survey are also more likely to report they do not carry federal student loan debt compared to straight students (50% vs. 46%). This suggests that student support of loan forgiveness does not necessarily correlate with eligibility for Biden’s plan.
On the other hand, a higher percentage of LGBTQ+ students than straight students say that they would be negatively affected if the Supreme Court blocks loan forgiveness (43% vs. 37%).
Methodology
This survey was conducted from March 6-13, 2023, and was fielded by Pure Spectrum. Survey participants included 1,000 respondents nationwide who were currently enrolled in an on-campus, online, or hybrid undergraduate or graduate degree program. Respondents were 16-61 years of age, with the majority (94%) aged 16-32, and currently pursuing an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, or professional degree. The respondents for the survey were screened by various quality checks, including systems like Relevant ID, and responses were manually reviewed to ensure consistency and accuracy.