Poll: Biden & Student Loan Forgiveness

This Navigator Research report contains polling data on perceptions surrounding President Biden’s student loan debt proposals and actions, which party Americans trust to cancel student loan debt, and how Americans view the Supreme Court’s decision to block President Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan last summer.

Roughly three in five support President Biden’s initial plan to forgive student loan debt.

Three in five Americans support President Biden’s proposal to cancel some or all student loan debt for 43 million Americans. 59 percent of Americans support President Biden’s proposal, including four in five Democrats (80 percent), nearly three in five independents (58 percent), and one in three Republicans (36 percent). Additionally, President Biden’s proposal is also supported by nearly nine in ten Americans who have student loan debt (87 percent), two in three Americans under 35, and parents (67 percent each).

• By a 29-point margin, more Americans trust President Biden and Democrats in Congress on canceling or reducing student loan debt than trust Republicans in Congress (57 percent Biden/Democrats – 28 percent Republicans), including by at least 20 points among Americans under 35 (net +27; 55 percent Biden/Democrats – 28 percent Republicans), Americans with college degrees (net +22; 55 percent Biden/Democrats – 33 percent Republicans), and independents (net +20; 39 percent Biden/Democrats – 19 percent Republicans). 
• Majorities across racial demographics trust Biden and Democrats in Congress more with canceling or reducing student loan debt than Republicans in Congress, including Black Americans (net +57; 71 percent Biden/Democrats – 14 percent Republicans), Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (net +49; 69 percent Biden/Democrats – 20 percent Republicans), Hispanic Americans (net +32; 58 percent Biden/Democrats – 26 percent Republicans), and white Americans (net +23; 54 percent Biden/Democrats – 31 percent Republicans).

Nearly half of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to block President Biden’s original proposal to forgive student loan debt.

A plurality of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to block President Biden’s proposed student loan debt relief plan. While Americans narrowly disagree with the Supreme Court overturning President Biden’s proposed student loan debt relief plan (net -6; 42 percent agree – 48 percent disagree), a significantly larger three in five share support Biden’s alternative ways to provide student loan debt relief to over 30 million Americans (net +26; 58 percent support – 32 percent oppose), including among more than four in five Democrats (net +73; 83 percent support – 10 percent oppose), a majority of independents (net +28; 54 percent support – 26 percent oppose), and even a third of Republicans (net -23; 34 percent support – 57 percent oppose).

Three in five Americans support Biden finding alternative proposals to provide student loan debt relief.

Biden’s alternative plans are supported by wide margins among those under 35 (net +42; 66 percent support – 24 percent oppose), Americans who either currently have or had student loan debt (net +39; 67 percent support – 28 percent oppose) for each), and those living in households earning less than $50,000 per year (net +32; 60 percent support – 28 percent oppose).