What would canceling student loans mean for Fresno-area residents, students? Take our survey

National student loan debt has reached over $1.9 trillion, according to the Student Debt Crisis Center, and many student loan borrowers are paying off their debts well into their careers after school.

The average student loan borrower in Fresno County owes $32,996 in either federal or private loan debt, and pays $202 a month, according to data from Student Loan Hero. But for just over two years, borrowers have gotten a pause on repaying loans held by the federal government.

The moratorium on repayments began with the Trump administration in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been extended several times, most recently by President Biden, who extended it to August.

Biden signaled this week he may be ready to make a move on forgiving student loans, according to The Washington Post. He has been open to the idea before of forgiving $10,000 per person, or making low to middle income and HBCU graduates a priority. But Biden has not set any plans in stone.

The Bee’s Education Lab wants to know: If you owe student loan debt and took advantage of the moratorium on repayments, how did that help you? What would you do if Biden canceled all or some of the debt?

This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 11:27 AM.