The future of the Biden administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) loan repayment plan is uncertain after two federal judges temporarily blocked parts of the program earlier this week. 

The Details: The rulings restrict the Biden administration's authority to forgive student debt under the program and halt the proposed lowering of borrowers' payments on the plan until the lawsuits are resolved.

For Context: SAVE is an income-driven repayment program that aims to reduce the financial strain of student loan repayments on borrowers by reducing borrowers' monthly payments to 5% of their discretionary income, down from the current 10%. Some borrowers had already seen their loans forgiven under this plan. Parts of the program that were intended to come into effect shortly would have recalculated future payments at less than half of what they currently are.

How the Media Covered It: Some Wednesday analysis coverage in business outlets focused on the consequences for borrowers, and some analyses in D.C.-focused outlets discussed the politics surrounding the issue. Some coverage appeared potentially sympathetic to loan repayment assistance; The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) called the SAVE plan “popular,” and Forbes (Center bias) prominently noted, “borrower advocates warned that the decision [to limit the program] could lead to chaos in the student loan system.” Meanwhile, The Daily Caller (Right bias) and the Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) highlighted that the judges were “Obama-appointed,” thereby making their rulings appear less political. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.