Congress should expand Student Loan Forgiveness to military service members who served in combat, by making retroactively reimbursements to military service members who owed and paid their student loans during the period of 2001-2022.
Public Student Loan Forgiveness was enacted in 2012 (HR 4170) with payment eligibility beginning in 2017. Military Service members serving after 2012, however, did not qualify for the forgiveness program, due only because of policy implementation, if they previously consolidated their student loans.
As such, military service members did not receive any reimbursements for their student loans even though they served their country in combat zones. Many service members missed out, while perhaps tens of thousands other public servants are now eligible and received forgiveness of their loans.
Providing reimbursements retroactively to eligible service members will provide much needed and earned funds that will provide these service members increased financial stability to pay for essential goods, housing, food, childcare, and other items.