Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump orders changes to the program for the forgiveness of the public service, which would disqualify the employees of non -profit groups that are involved as “inappropriate” activities.
The educational department indicates that an executive order signed on Friday to change the program so that some borrower refuses a loan relief. It would exclude the forgiveness of loans to people, whose work with illegal immigration, foreign terrorist groups or other illegal activities is bound.
The Congress founded the 2007 program to promote careers in the government or non -profit groups. It offers to terminate remaining debts after borrowers have made payments in the public service for 10 years during work. Among other things, it is open to government workers, teachers, police, religious pastors and certain non -profit employees.
More than 2 million Americans have justified employment and open student loans, according to the data in December of the educational department.
At her hearing for confirmation in the Senate, the Minister of Education Linda McMahon promised to continue the forgiveness ordered by the congress for public service. “This is the law,” she said in response to questions from Senator Tim Kaine, D-VA.
According to the applicable rules, non -profit organizations are entitled if they focus on certain areas, including law, public health or education. Trump’s command seems to go to goals that work in certain areas in contradiction to his political agenda, including immigration.
The supporters went to court to defend the program in the past, and Trump’s lawsuit is almost with legal challenges. It was quick against supporters.
“The threat of punishing hard -working Americans for the perceived political views of their employers is roughly as obvious as they can imagine,” said Aaron Ament, President of the National Student Legal Defense Network.
By updating the approval rules, the educational department usually has to go through a lengthy process of the state. Every up-to-date regulation that started this year would normally only come into force in 2027.
The prohibition program has been an object of a political war since Trump’s first term when the borrowers reached the 10th year of the home for the first time.
The enormous majority, which applied for relief in 2017, was rejected because it was found that they have registered in non -justified payment schedules or did not meet other criteria. An examination of a Federal Watchdog group showed that the educational department had not made it clear to the authorization rules of the program.
As part of President Joe Biden, the educational department loosened the rules of the program through a federal regulatory process and expanded the authorization for people who had previously been rejected.
In the past few weeks, the bidges have announced that it had granted more than 1 million people relief as part of the program of 7,000, which were granted a cancellation during Trump’s first term.
Republican legislators have attacked the changes to the bidges that said that only the congress had the authority to change the rules of the program.
Biden also urged a broad cancellation of the student loan, but was blocked by the Supreme Court and repeated legal challenges by republican states blocked by states.
The Republicans were strongly against the cancellation of student loans and said that they handed over the costs unfairly to taxpayers who have already repaid their loans or have not gone to college.
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