As the court debates student loans, borrowers see a gap

WASHINGTON (AP) — Niara Thompson couldn’t shake her frustration when the Supreme Court debated the cancellation of President Joe Biden’s student debt. When she listened from the audience on Tuesday, it all sounded academic. There was a long discussion of the nuances of some of the words. The judges asked lawyers to study hypothetical scenarios.

For Thompson, none of this is hypothetical. A student at the University of Georgia, she grew up watching her parents struggle with student loans and will graduate with about $50,000 of student debt of her own.

“It was like people who could never understand why we needed something like this,” she said. “I wanted to say: “You all do not understand. You are all focused on this, but there are people here who are struggling to find food for their families.”

Much of the discussion in Tuesday’s hearing focused on whether states have the legal right to sue Biden’s student loan plan. But the judges also scrutinized whether Biden had the right to forego hundreds of billions of dollars of debt without the explicit approval of Congress, which decides how taxpayer money is spent.

It is not uncommon for Supreme Court cases to be hung up on legal formalities, even in cases of great public interest. However, after Tuesday’s arguments, borrowers felt isolated after hearing such a personal topic reduced to cold legal language.

Thompson was among several dozen borrowers who stayed overnight in the drizzle to win court seats, where they watched conservative judges question the administration’s authority to write off the debts of millions of Americans. Some of the court’s liberal judges tried several times to return arguments to people who would benefit from the program, pointing out their need for help. In response, the conservatives asked whether those who dropped out of college should pay for those who borrowed money to go to school.

For the Thompson family, years of payments hang in the balance. Student loan repayments have been suspended since the start of the pandemic but are due to resume 60 days after court cases are resolved, regardless of the outcome.

Thompson and her father are each entitled to $10,000 in damages, she said. Thompson says it will bring her one step closer to financial stability and pay off the rest of her father’s loans.

“It just hurt my feelings a bit,” she said of Tuesday’s arguments. “I just want the best for us, you know?

The mood inside the court – quiet and ceremonial – contrasted with the atmosphere outside, as dozens of activists rallied in support of the repeal. Crowds chanted and listened to speeches by members of Congress, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Advocates took to the podium to share stories of family sacrifice and life milestones put on hold by high student debt.

Ella Azoulay, a 26-year-old Washington resident, attended the rally to join a debt relief campaign she calls a “family matter.” A 2018 NYU graduate, Azulai has $40,000 in student debt while her father took out over $400,000 on behalf of her and her two siblings.

“I can’t think about my future without thinking about this huge debt,” she said. “My father is not going to retire. He’s in his 60s and he’s been saying all my life that he’ll never be able to retire. And it’s really upsetting to hear.”

During the hearing, Liberal Judge Sonia Sotomayor said it would be a mistake for her fellow judges to take over, rather than leave it to education experts, “the right to decide what help to give” to people who would fight if the program will be knocked down.

Other judges also showed understanding for the plight of borrowers. Judge Clarence Thomas, the court’s staunchest conservative, wrote of the “crushing weight” of his own student loans, which he paid off after going to the country’s highest court.

Kayla Smith, 22, joined Thompson for the night to take a seat inside the court. A recent graduate of the University of Georgia, she also believes the discussion is missing the bigger picture.

Smith’s mother borrowed over $20,000 in federal Parent Plus loans to help pay for her college education. Smith sees this as the result of a broken system that forces people to go into debt for social mobility.

“They were focused on small, insignificant details,” Atlanta-based Smith said of the judges. “I even saw some of them laugh during the hearing, which was weird for me because it touches people’s lives. At least we’re not laughing. ___

The Associated Press Education Group receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. AP is solely responsible for all content.

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