DeSantis Says It’s ‘Unfair’ for a Truck Driver to Pay Loans for ‘PhD in Gender Studies’
ORLANDO (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis called the Biden Administration’s plan to cancel some student loan debt “unfair” to those who already paid off their loans or did not take out a loan in the first place.
“It’s very unfair to have a truck driver have to the pay back a loan from somebody that got like a PhD in gender studies,” he explained. “That’s not fair. That’s not right.”
The White House announced that the Department of Education will provide up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. It will provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients with loans held by the Department of Education. Borrowers are eligible for this relief if their individual income is less than $125,000
The cost of student debt cancellation could average $2,000 per taxpayer, the governor said.
“But the people that should pay for it, it’s not the American taxpayers, it should be the university should be responsible for that,” DeSantis said. “If they’re producing people, they went deep into debt, and their degree is not worth anything, and they’re not able to make enough money to pay it back, well, then that’s on them.”
Inflation is another concern for Republicans and the governor. They cited Obama economists who said the move is like putting gasoline on a fire.
DeSantis also criticized the administration for cancelling debt without providing reforms to the universities.
“And it has no real impact on the quality of the education when they’re raising their tuition,” he explained. “It just creates more administrative bloat and that’s been going on and the colleges and universities have gotten a free ride.”
At the end of the day, DeSantis does not believe the Biden Administration’s debt cancellation plan is constitutional and believe Congress has the authority to sign off on it.
“With no legislative sanction and to just say you’re dumping this debt on the taxpayers, that is not something that is consistent with the rule of law,” DeSantis said.
Democrats, including Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, call the plan a “relief” for Americans.
“Easing burden on Floridians crushed by student debt so they can focus on their careers, families, and futures!” Crist said.
