FOIA Request: Records of the U.S. Department of Education’s Internal Decisions and External Communications on Self-Certification of Income for Student Loan Debt Cancellation
| Agency | Department of Education |
|---|---|
| Type | FOIA Request |
| Issue | Student Loan Debt Cancellation |
| Tracking | DFI FOIA No. 100-32-22 |
| Date | Nov 2, 2022 |
On August 24, 2022, President Biden and the U.S. Department of Education announced a massive, three-part plan to cancel outstanding student loan debt, including a "one-time" cancellation of up to $20,000 in debt for Pell Grant recipients with loans held by the Department and up to $10,000 for non-Pell Grant borrowers, if their individual annual adjusted gross income is less than $125,000 or, for married couples, less than $250,000. The Department's application provides only for "self-certification" of income and lacks other safeguards to protect against fraud by applicants who may misrepresent their income levels. Previous findings by the GAO and the Department's own Office of the Inspector General have made clear why such safeguards are needed - yet the Department has failed to include them in this massive new program. DFI's FOIA request seeks internal and external records (from January 20, 2021, through the present) regarding this ill-conceived plan, including all decision memoranda, directives, policy interpretations, and policy guidance adopted by particular officials, all communications and correspondence with White House and OMB personnel about the self-certification of income requirement, all calendar entries of Departmental officials of meetings with White House and OMB personnel regarding student loan debt cancellation, and all communications and correspondence with particular outside interest groups and associated individuals regarding this Department policy.
Request