Biden extends federal student loan repayment pause until May 1
The Biden administration is officially extending a pause on federal student loan repayment until May 2022.
The White House announced Wednesday the student loan repayment pause, which was set to end on Feb. 1, will be extended to May 1. President Biden previously extended the pause, which began under former President Donald Trump at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, through September 2021, then again through January 2022.
Biden said the pause on repayment of federal loans has given millions of Americans "badly-needed breathing room" during the pandemic. He's extending it, he added, because borrowers who are "still coping with the impacts of the pandemic" need "some more time before resuming payments."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The decision comes after Politico reported the Education Department was considering extending the pause amid a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant, though the report noted officials for months had "publicly insisted that student loan payments would begin on Feb. 1." Biden was facing pressure from Democrats to extend the deadline, with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) arguing that not continuing the pause "makes no sense" and is "awful on the substance and awful politics."
Biden on Wednesday encouraged student borrowers to "take full advantage of the Department of Education's resources to help you prepare for payments to resume" in May.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June



