Supreme Court Ruling on Biden’s Student Debt Cancellation Plan Underscores Need for Education Reform

In the wake of the recent decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to overturn the Biden administration’s proposed plan to cancel student loan debt, we at Jobs for the Future (JFF) applaud the Biden administration’s efforts to seek solutions for lifting the enormous student debt burden weighing on tens of millions of borrowers. However, we recognize that the administration’s plan alone would not have been enough to ensure the long-term success of all borrowers, especially new borrowers.

We believe federal policymakers need to take decisive action to improve postsecondary education’s alignment with the labor market, as well as address the way education costs are financed and the accountability of stakeholders. Without these actions, the country will find itself in the same—or maybe even worse—kind of student debt crisis we face now.

We shouldn’t let this SCOTUS decision stop the momentum of current policy discussions around finding solutions to fix our national higher education affordability and financing challenges. The executive and legislative branches must work together to improve higher education’s alignment with the labor market, the way education costs are financed, and take a holistic approach to ensuring our nation’s workers and learners have access to the postsecondary education and training needed to secure quality jobs today—as well as in the future.