What happens to student loan forgiveness if Kamala Harris wins the presidency

By Victoria Holliday | Published on October 21, 2025

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With President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would no longer seek reelection many borrowers were left wondering what it means for the state of student loan forgiveness efforts backed by his administration. Vice President Kamala Harris is the official Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election, and voters are eager to understand her loan forgiveness policies should she beat Republican nominee Donald Trump in the presidential election.

Student debt relief is a big issue for American voters. According to a June Bankrate survey, one in five (18%) of respondents said student loan debt would have a major influence over their vote this November.

Does Kamala Harris support student loan forgiveness?

Yes she does. As Vice President, Harris has supported Biden’s numerous plans to tackle student debt over the last four years. Student debt relief and higher education reform have consistently received her support throughout her public service career. As California’s attorney general, she investigated and helped borrowers at Corinthian College who were defrauded by the school get $1 billion in relief. As Vice President she continued this work and along with Biden’s Education Department announced $5.8 billion in debt cancellation for remaining borrowers defrauded by the school.

In 2023, she said in a statement that “reducing student loan debt has been a priority throughout my career.” Moreover, just days before Biden recused himself from the race, Harris tweeted her support of the administration’s efforts surrounding student debt.

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While she has yet to share formal plans surrounding student loan debt, her prior efforts coupled with her public statements make it clear that she supports student loan forgiveness in some form and will likely share plans following her official Democratic nomination. Voters can expect Harris’ administration will aim to continue Biden’s current policies if not expand them.

SAVE Plan blocked by courts

In July, a federal court blocked Biden’s new SAVE student-loan repayment plan in full, prohibiting borrowers from getting cheaper payments and debt cancellation. This means debt cancellation and cheaper payments through SAVE cannot be implemented at this time, leaving borrowers confused and waiting for clarity. The legal challenges faced by SAVE highlight the challenges any president will likely face in pushing forward debt relief initiatives.

Harris and the College for All Act

In addition to her efforts on student loan forgiveness, Kamala Harris has advocated for broader reforms in higher education including the College for All Act proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders in 2017.

This legislation aims to:

1. Provide tuition-free education at community colleges for all students
2. Offer tuition-free education at four-year public institutions for students from families earning up to $125,000 annually

As President, Harris could work to advance this or similar initiatives.

Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump: where they stand on student loan forgiveness

Trump, like other Republican nominees, argues against widespread student debt cancellation, viewing it as fiscally irresponsible and unfair to those who have already paid off their loans or chose not to attend college and has consistently opposed student loan forgiveness. In June 2023, he supported the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down President Biden’s forgiveness plans.

Should Trump win the 2024 presidential election, he would likely attempt to reverse Biden’s student loan relief efforts. This could include issuing an executive action to fully overturn the SAVE plan currently on pause in the courts. As President, Trump supported eliminating Public Service Loan Forgiveness initiatives, and his administration halted a regulation aimed at providing loan forgiveness to those defrauded by their schools.

Harris, as part of the Biden administration, has been supportive of student loan forgiveness initiatives. While serving as Vice President, she advocated for the administration’s efforts to provide relief to borrowers, including the attempted $400 billion student loan forgiveness program and the implementation of the SAVE plan. Harris has stated that student debt relief is crucial for economic growth and social equity, emphasizing its potential to reduce the racial wealth gap and provide opportunities for millions of Americans burdened by educational debt.

2024 election impact if you have student loans

It’s clear that the outcome of the 2024 presidential election could impact the future of student loan policies – whether that results in more forgiveness programs or a rollback of existing ones, it’s tough to predict exactly what’ll happen.

If Harris wins, there’s a good chance we’ll see more efforts to forgive student loans or at least make them easier to manage. Democrats may also try to revive or expand programs like income-driven repayment plans or push for broader loan forgiveness. On the flip side, if a Republican takes office, we could see a move away from forgiveness programs.

But it’s not just about the presidency. Congress plays a big role too. The makeup of the House and Senate could determine whether new student loan policies get passed or blocked by whomever holds the White House. And don’t forget about the Supreme Court – they’ve already weighed in on loan forgiveness once, and they could do it again.

It’s a lot to keep track of which is why it’s important to think about how different outcomes might affect your personal financial situation. If you’re concerned about affording your student loan payments and may not qualify for current or future forgiveness programs, refinancing with Earnest could potentially lower your interest rate or monthly payments.

However, refinancing your federal loans into private loans means forfeiting access to federal benefits like income driven repayment plans, including any future loan forgiveness programs. Before making a decision, review your financial goals, and the potential long-term implications of refinancing. Politics can be unpredictable, which is why it’s a good idea to have a plan for your loans that works for you, no matter who ends up in office. Whether that means sticking with your current plan, or looking into refinancing.

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About the Author

Victoria Holliday

Victoria is the Head of Content at Earnest. She brings extensive ed-tech expertise from six years at Chegg, where she developed educational resources reaching over 20 million students nationwide.

With a Master’s in Political Science and experience in public policy from several California campaigns, she’s passionate about creating accessible content that enhances student outcomes in the dynamic world of higher education.