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Connections

Examining President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan

Kevin Wilson and Patrick Coyle on "Connections."
Emmarae Stein
/
WXXI News
Kevin Wilson and Patrick Coyle appear on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.

Last week, President Biden announced a federal student loan forgiveness plan, which would erase up to $20,000 of debt for Pell Grant recipients, and up to $10,000 for other borrowers who meet certain income requirements. The plan also extends a pause on loan payments until January 2023.

News of the plan sparked immediate debate. Some borrowers applauded the news, others said the forgiveness amounts are not enough, and -- as reported by NPR -- some people without student loans agreed with Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, who referred to the plan as "a slap in the face to those who never went to college, as well as borrowers who upheld their responsibility to taxpayers and paid back their loans."

This hour, we explore how the forgiveness plan works, and we discuss different sides of the debate with our guests:

  • Patrick Coyle, political organizer
  • Kevin Wilson, host of "A Free Solution" podcast, and former chair of the Monroe County Libertarian Party
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Emmarae Stein is the production assistant for "Connections with Evan Dawson."