You may qualify for student debt relief.

When I talk to our neighbors, I often hear how the crushing burden of student debt makes it hard for people to build a future for themselves and their families. I am committed to reducing that burden. I’ll always fight to lower costs for families like yours, and I want to provide an update on recent developments.

In 2022, President Joe Biden announced a significant effort to cancel student debt for 20 million middle-class and low-income borrowers. Unfortunately, Republican appointees on the Supreme Court blocked President Biden from providing this relief.

While some have tried to undermine these efforts, President Biden has provided nearly $144 billion in student debt cancellation to four million borrowers. The Biden-Harris Administration is working to provide even more opportunities for student loan cancellation and hold colleges and universities accountable for pushing borrowers into deeper and more unaffordable debt. Here are two recent developments:

• For more than one million borrowers, income-driven repayments can be as low as $0 per month and the balance of your debt can be cancelled in 20 years – or as few as 10 years for some borrowers who have already been making payments for a decade. Visit www.StudentAid.gov/IDR for more information.

• If you have served as a teacher, firefighter, government employee, or any other category of public service for 10 years, you may be eligible for the Public Safety Loan Forgiveness Program. Visit www.StudentAid.gov/PSLF for more information.

And here are other ways the Biden-Harris administration has expanded debt relief:

• Cancelling debt for borrowers defrauded by for-profit colleges and universities. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Education has provided student debt cancellation for borrowers who were misled by fraudulent for-profit institutions and took out federal student loans to enroll in them. More than 1.3 million of these borrowers have seen a total of $22.5 billion in student loan debt canceled.

• Cancelling debt for borrowers with disabilities. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, borrowers with a disability can receive student debt cancellation via a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge application. More than 513,000 Americans with permanent and total disabilities have seen their loans cancelled, amounting to $11.7 billion.

• Fixing income-driven repayment plans once and for all. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan is an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan that cuts payments on undergraduate loans in half and brings student loan payments down to as low as $0 per month. Some 930,500 borrowers have saved a total of $45.6 billion through adjustments to IDR payments and the SAVE plan.

I hope you will make full use of the student debt cancellation options made available to borrowers by visiting www.StudentAid.gov to learn more and review your eligibility today.

And please share this information with your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors!

 
Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak!  This week, Muslims around the world reflected on the lessons learned during this most holy season. Throughout Ramadan, we remember those suffering and recommit ourselves to eliminating that suffering. In particular, we pray for those facing genocide, conflict, and famine. We think of our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Sudan, who have no food with which to celebrate. We think of those in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 7 million people of whom have been displaced. We think of the people of Haiti plagued with gang violence and in desperate need of food and medical supplies. We think of Uyghurs in concentration camps in China. And we think of marginalized communities in my home city of Indianapolis and around the country facing gun violence, poverty, and food deserts.   

During Eid, we honor our resolute strength and endurance. I am proud to co-lead the Eid al-Fitr Resolution with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell to recognize the significance of this holiday. I will continue working across the aisle, across backgrounds, and across faiths as we all seek to shape a stronger country and world.

Success Story of the Week:

“I have been an Indiana resident since 2010. I was having difficulty connecting with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Congressman Carson and staff reached out to USCIS to check on the status of the case and request the cases to be connected. Congressman Carson and his staff did a fantastic job assisting my family. They were very responsive. They called me and emailed me right away, asked questions to better understand the situation and see how they could better help. They were able to obtain a prompt resolution. We will forever be grateful for their assistance.”

--Indianapolis Resident

Team Carson is Here to Serve: 

Did you know that in 2023, my office responded to over 70,000 of your messages and brought $1.5 MILLION directly back to Indianapolis families? Team Carson is here to serve you – get in touch to find out how we can help you navigate a federal agency, access government benefits, or recognize a community member’s milestone. 

For updates throughout the week, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Your Friend,

André