Michigan Department of Education Praises Federal Efforts to Repay Educators' Loans

LANSING – State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice and State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh this morning joined U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona at Grand Rapids Community College to hear from Michigan educators who have benefited from student debt relief.

The event was the first Michigan stop on Secretary Cardona’s four-day 2024 Back to School Bus Tour.

Secretary Cardona and other U.S. Department of Education officials heard from borrowers who benefited from Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Under the program, eligible borrowers who work full-time for federal, state, local or tribal governments – such as public schools – or nonprofits can get loan forgiveness after making 120 qualifying monthly payments. Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, GRCC President Dr. Charles W. Lepper, and Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby also attended the event.

“We appreciate our federal partners investing in Michigan educators by forgiving a portion of their student loans,” Dr. Rice said. “Federal forgiveness of educators’ student loans contributes to Goal 7 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to increase the number of certified teachers in areas of shortage.”

Beyond the relief under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness, the Biden-Harris Administration has also approved: 

• $45.6 billion for 930,500 borrowers through improvements to income-driven repayment plans. 

• $22.5 billion for more than 1.3 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements. 

• $11.7 billion for almost 513,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability.

In Michigan, this equates to 30,810 borrowers, totaling approximately $2.3 billion in relief, and 156,600 student loan discharges totaling more than $5.3 billion.  

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