Student debt relief activists march in June 2023 near the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. This week, a pair of federal judges blocked Trump administration changes to a student loan forgiveness program that detractors say would have made it into an ideological "loyalty test." File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
July 1 (UPI) -- Decisions by two federal judges have blocked the federal government from attaching new restrictions to a student loan forgiveness program for public servants.
The changes would have blocked workers from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (which cancels some of the education debt of government and nonprofit employees after 10 years of employment) if the Trump administration deemed their employers to be engaged in activities with "a substantial illegal purpose," The Hill reported.
The Education Department would decide what these activities are -- and detractors said it would allow the department to target organizations that support causes such as immigration advocacy or health care for transgender people or those that support diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The new rules were supposed to go into effect July 1. Judges in two separate cases, one in Massachusetts and one in Washington, D.C., struck them down Tuesday.
