美国减免学生债务，助学贷款经历20年来最大降幅
2022年第3季度，美国学生贷款债务从第2季度的1.59万亿美元减少至1.57万亿美元。据纽约联邦储备银行（New York Federal Reserve）的家庭债务与信用报告（Household Debt and Credit Report）显示，这是至少20年来的最大降幅。
LendingTree高级经济学家雅各布·香奈儿表示，虽然下降幅度较小，但依旧“具有非常重要的意义”。美联储将此归功于拜登政府颁布的助学贷款减免政策，例如公共服务贷款减免（Public Service Loan Forgiveness，PSLF）计划，以及免除就读于欺诈性学校的学生的债务。
香奈儿表示：“重要的是，差额相当于200亿美元。虽然人们依旧背负了沉重的学生贷款债务，但我认为债务减少……依旧是好消息。”
这也略微减轻了人们对美国全面学生贷款危机的担忧。虽然美国的学生贷款债务每年依旧在持续增长，从2003年的2,400亿美元增长到目前的1.57万亿美元，但联邦政府的减免政策似乎产生了一些效果。
美国总统乔·拜登将减免学生贷款作为其执政的首要任务，尤其是减免被欺诈的学生、残疾学生或符合现有减免计划但由于官僚主义管理不善无法减免的学生。目前，拜登政府表示已经为超过180万借款人减免了近480亿美元。
香奈儿表示：“这180万人现在将更容易积攒储蓄，支付其他账单，或者在申请抵押贷款或其他服务时更容易获得批准。”
除了减免债务以外，还有其他因素也可能影响总体学生贷款负债。例如，美国大学入学率下降可能减少学生贷款，因为借款人减少。
此外，联邦学生贷款利率近三年来一直维持在0%。这降低了现有贷款的增长速度，可能是学生贷款债务总额发生变化的原因之一。
美联储指出，拜登政府颁布的贷款减免帮助抵消了通常在学年开始时产生的贷款发放费。
大范围减免依旧在等待批准
除了减免遭到欺诈的贷款人的债务和改善公共服务贷款减免计划以外，拜登还试图为符合一定要求的联邦借款人每人减免最高10,000美元至20,000美元贷款。这项大范围减免计划将减免数千亿美元债务。但该计划因为法律问题，目前仍未通过。
周三，一家联邦上诉法院拒绝暂停一位德克萨斯州法官认定该计划无效的判决。拜登政府已经向美国最高法院单独提起诉讼；美国最高法院在周四表示将受理该案。
在美国最高法院判决之前，美国教育部无法减免一次性项目下的任何债务，甚至已经停止受理债务减免申请。如果减免计划得以通过，白宫表示已经提交申请并获得批准的约1,600万借款人能够获得减免，未来将有更多人受益。有人估计，如果所有人都有资格提交申请并获得批准，将有约4,000亿美元债务被减免。
拜登在上周宣布，在诉讼审理期间，将继续暂停联邦贷款还款和计息。（财富中文网）
译者：刘进龙
审校：汪皓
2022年第3季度，美国学生贷款债务从第2季度的1.59万亿美元减少至1.57万亿美元。据纽约联邦储备银行（New York Federal Reserve）的家庭债务与信用报告（Household Debt and Credit Report）显示，这是至少20年来的最大降幅。
LendingTree高级经济学家雅各布·香奈儿表示，虽然下降幅度较小，但依旧“具有非常重要的意义”。美联储将此归功于拜登政府颁布的助学贷款减免政策，例如公共服务贷款减免（Public Service Loan Forgiveness，PSLF）计划，以及免除就读于欺诈性学校的学生的债务。
香奈儿表示：“重要的是，差额相当于200亿美元。虽然人们依旧背负了沉重的学生贷款债务，但我认为债务减少……依旧是好消息。”
这也略微减轻了人们对美国全面学生贷款危机的担忧。虽然美国的学生贷款债务每年依旧在持续增长，从2003年的2,400亿美元增长到目前的1.57万亿美元，但联邦政府的减免政策似乎产生了一些效果。
美国总统乔·拜登将减免学生贷款作为其执政的首要任务，尤其是减免被欺诈的学生、残疾学生或符合现有减免计划但由于官僚主义管理不善无法减免的学生。目前，拜登政府表示已经为超过180万借款人减免了近480亿美元。
香奈儿表示：“这180万人现在将更容易积攒储蓄，支付其他账单，或者在申请抵押贷款或其他服务时更容易获得批准。”
除了减免债务以外，还有其他因素也可能影响总体学生贷款负债。例如，美国大学入学率下降可能减少学生贷款，因为借款人减少。
此外，联邦学生贷款利率近三年来一直维持在0%。这降低了现有贷款的增长速度，可能是学生贷款债务总额发生变化的原因之一。
美联储指出，拜登政府颁布的贷款减免帮助抵消了通常在学年开始时产生的贷款发放费。
大范围减免依旧在等待批准
除了减免遭到欺诈的贷款人的债务和改善公共服务贷款减免计划以外，拜登还试图为符合一定要求的联邦借款人每人减免最高10,000美元至20,000美元贷款。这项大范围减免计划将减免数千亿美元债务。但该计划因为法律问题，目前仍未通过。
周三，一家联邦上诉法院拒绝暂停一位德克萨斯州法官认定该计划无效的判决。拜登政府已经向美国最高法院单独提起诉讼；美国最高法院在周四表示将受理该案。
在美国最高法院判决之前，美国教育部无法减免一次性项目下的任何债务，甚至已经停止受理债务减免申请。如果减免计划得以通过，白宫表示已经提交申请并获得批准的约1,600万借款人能够获得减免，未来将有更多人受益。有人估计，如果所有人都有资格提交申请并获得批准，将有约4,000亿美元债务被减免。
拜登在上周宣布，在诉讼审理期间，将继续暂停联邦贷款还款和计息。（财富中文网）
译者：刘进龙
审校：汪皓
Total student loan debt in the U.S. fell to $1.57 trillion in the third quarter of 2022 from $1.59 trillion in the second quarter. That’s the largest decline in at least 20 years, according to data from the New York Federal Reserve’s Household Debt and Credit Report.
It’s a small drop, but it’s still “very significant,” says Jacob Channel, senior economist at LendingTree. The Fed credits it to student loan relief efforts enacted by the Biden administration, such as revamping the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and discharging the debt of many attendees of fraudulent schools.
“It’s important to remember that that difference is equal to $20 billion,” says Channel. “While there’s clearly still a ton of student loan debt left for people to pay down, I think the decline…is still good news.”
It’s also a slight relief to America’s overall student loan crisis. While balances continue to grow higher and higher each year—from $240 billion in 2003 to $1.57 trillion today—the federal relief programs seem to be having some effect.
President Joe Biden has made student loan relief a priority throughout his time in office, particularly for those who were defrauded, are disabled, or who should qualify through an existing forgiveness program but have been unable to due to bureaucratic mismanagement. Currently, the administration says it has forgiven nearly $48 billion for over 1.8 million borrowers.
“That’s 1.8 million people who will likely now have an easier time saving money, keeping up with other bills, or getting approved for things like mortgages,” says Channel.
There are other factors aside from debt forgiveness that are also likely impacting the total student loan debt. For one, a drop in college enrollment in the U.S. could result in lower uptake of student loans simply due to the fact that there are fewer borrowers.
Additionally, federal student loan interest rates have been set at 0% for almost three years. That slows the growth on existing loans, which could account for some of the difference.
Still, the Fed notes that the loan discharges enacted by the Biden administration helped offset originations that typically occur at the start of the school year.
Widespread forgiveness is still on hold
In addition to discharging debt for defrauded borrowers and improving PSLF, Biden is trying to forgive up to $10,000 to $20,000 per federal borrower who meets certain requirements. But that widespread plan, which would cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in debt, is on hold due to legal challenges.
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court declined to pause a Texas judge’s ruling that the plan is unlawful. The Biden administration has already taken a separate suit to the U.S. Supreme Court; SCOTUS said Thursday it will take up that case.
Until SCOTUS rules, the U.S. Department of Education cannot forgive any debt under the one-time program, and even stopped taking applications for debt forgiveness. If the relief program were allowed to proceed, the White House says some 16 million borrowers whose applications have been processed and approved would see forgiveness, with more to follow. Some estimates say around $400 billion in debt could be forgiven if everyone who is eligible applies and is approved.
Biden announced last week that the pause on federal loan payments and interest accrual would be extended while the lawsuits play out.
