Biden says his student loan relief is ‘life-changing’. Will it fix the system’s inequities?

The initiative's income cap and unclear bureaucratic process could fail to address the racial disparities that already exist

As Joe Biden announced the details of his plan to help those with student loan debt, Kat Welbeck wrestled with the idea. For millions of Americans, the unprecedented relief would be life-changing", especially for low-income and Black and Latino Americans, who are disproportionately saddled with decades-long debt, she said.

But the plans' income cap on who can receive cancellation, and its unclear bureaucratic process for Americans seeking debt relief could perpetuate the inequities that underpin the nation's student loan system, Welbeck, director of advocacy and civil rights counsel for the Student Borrower Protection Center, said.