The Supreme Court is battling out the case of whether it is justified to admit United States President Joe Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness program. They are hearing oral arguments from two cases that are challenging this program.

In a lower court case in November, Chief Justice Roberts called into question whether it is in Biden’s jurisdiction to cancel a billion dollars in debt, claiming that this case presents “extraordinarily serious important issues” for the role of Congress in this area of concern.

Looking at the plan, Biden is promising to deliver up to $20,000 of debt relief to millions of recent graduates, yet this is on hold until the Supreme Court makes their decision, which should be expected to come out by late June or early July.

Around 26 million people had already applied for this program by November 10th, 2022, before a federal district court judge denied it, prompting the discontinuation of accepting applications. As of right now, no debt has been canceled.

This plan was launched on October 17th, but allowed for an adjustment period to discuss possible changes to the agreement.

One of the lawsuits was brought upon by six Republican-led states, and argued that the Department of Education does not have the power to forgive the loans in question. The other lawsuit was brought upon by two individual borrowers.

However, US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar makes an argument distinguishing the two cases from the case at bar.

“This is the student loan program. That falls within the wheelhouse of the Secretary of Education,” Prelogar said. “These are federal loans between the federal government and student loan borrowers, so this is a situation where the secretary is really acting I think the core of his expertise and his authority.”