White House Says Student Debt Relief Applications Continue Even as Court Halts Condonation

The White House urged borrowers to continue applying for student debt relief even as a federal appeals court put a temporary hold on President Joe Biden's loan forgiveness program.

In a statement, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the stay "does not prevent borrowers from applying for student debt relief at studentaid.gov."

"We encourage eligible borrowers to join the nearly 22 million Americans whose information the Department of Education already has. It also does not prevent us from reviewing these applications and preparing them for transmission to loan servicers," Jean-Pierre said.

The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a temporary stop to Biden's program, preventing the administration from canceling any loans covered until the court comes to a decision on the policy.

The order stems from a case filed last month by six Republican-led states that had been junked by a lower court that ruled the plaintiffs did not have legal standing to challenge the program.

But the appeals court granted the states' appeal for a preliminary injunction and gave the Biden administration until Monday to respond, while the states need to reply to this by Tuesday.

The states had urged the appeals court to act before Sunday, when the Biden administration said it would forgive student loans.