Biden Promises Fix to Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Former vice president Joe Biden, who is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, promised in an education plan released Tuesday to "see to it" that the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is "fixed, simplified and actually helps teachers."

Biden also promised to "partner with colleges" to build up the pipeline of psychologists, guidance counselors, nurses, social workers and other support professionals employed in public schools. And he said he would boost the number of teachers of color enrolled in teacher training programs.

The plan also calls for reinstating Obama-era guidance on affirmative action in higher education.

Multiple candidates for the Democratic nomination have called for streamlining the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, including former San Antonio mayor Julián Castro in a plan released earlier this month. Last year, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, another candidate for the Democratic nomination, secured $700 million in funding for borrowers who encountered eligibility issues qualifying for the program, which only 1 percent of borrowers have successfully qualified for so far.