U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visits Little Rock, talks about student loan forgiveness program

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona was in Little Rock Tuesday afternoon to hear from educators impacted by the federal student loan forgiveness program.

Cardona met with six different teachers in central Arkansas who had all or part of their loans forgiven as part of the Public Service Forgiveness Program.

Under the program, people who are in public service and have been paying on their loans for 10 years are eligible for debt forgiveness.

“We’re fixing a broken system and we’re unapologetic about it,” Cardona said.

Cardona said teachers are drowning in student debt, which is forcing them to miss payments, forego other necessities or leave the field altogether.

He said student debt affects more than just the payer. It impacts the teacher’s family, their ability to do a good job and the field itself.

“This isn’t a red or blue thing,” Cardona said. “This is a student thing. This is an education thing.”

Cardona’s visit was met with opposition from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva. The two sent a joint letter to the U.S. Secretary calling the student loan forgiveness program, “unfair, unwise, and unlawful.”

They added that taxpayers should not have to pay for debts taken out by other people. The letter also took aim at FAFSA, calling the update “botched.”

Cardona addressed these issues, saying the federal government has worked out the kinks to FAFSA and ensures it is a much quicker process than it was before.

“It’s one thing to send a letter to me saying that this is illegal or unfair, tell that to these teachers who have been working 20 years and can’t even afford to buy a home,” Cardona said in response to the letter.

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