What will happen to the economy if student loans are forgiven?

Asked by: Yasmeen Runte  |  Last update: October 12, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (55 votes)

Student loan debt slows new business growth and limits consumer spending. Broad student loan debt forgiveness may help boost the national economy by making it more affordable for borrowers to participate in it.

What will student loan forgiveness do to the economy?

The researchers' model posits that cancelling student loan debt won't cause an astronomical amount of inflation. To be specific, there would be a very modest uptick as a result, perhaps 1.8-1.9 percent. In fact, the policy of debt cancellation could boost the GDP by an average of $86 billion to $106 billion per year.

What happens to the money if student loans are forgiven?

If this happens, you must report any canceled debt as income on your tax return. Not all states are following suit with temporary tax-free loan forgiveness. So while you may not owe taxes on a federal level, you may still have to pay state income tax depending on where you live.

What happens to taxes when student loans are forgiven?

Right now, anyone who receives student loan forgiveness between 2021 and 2025 will not have to pay taxes on any amount of student debt forgiveness.

What are the negatives of student loan forgiveness?

The pros and cons of student loan forgiveness
  • Con: Forgiving debt is not fair to people who have already made their payments. ...
  • Pro: Debt forgiveness is the empathetic solution. ...
  • Con: Student loan forgiveness does not address the root problem and could even exacerbate it. ...
  • Pro: Debt cancellation could improve economic equity.

Would student loan forgiveness help boost the economy?

25 related questions found

Why the student loan forgiveness isn t fair?

1 Forgiveness is fundamentally unfair because it will ultimately be paid by taxpayers—many who have faithfully paid off their student loans, worked hard to pay for college, or chose not to go to college at all.

What are the disadvantages of forgiveness?

In particular, the tendency to express forgiveness may lead offenders to feel free to offend again by removing unwanted consequences for their behavior (e.g., anger, criticism, rejection, loneliness) that would otherwise discourage reoffending.

How does paying off student loans affect taxes?

You can take a tax deduction for the interest paid on student loans that you took out for yourself, your spouse, or your dependent. This benefit applies to all loans (not just federal student loans) used to pay for higher education expenses. The maximum deduction is $2,500 a year.

Why should student loans be forgiven?

Pro 1: Student loan debt is slowing the national economy. Forgiveness would boost the economy, benefiting everyone. When everyone can't participate in the economy, the whole economy suffers.

What is the tax bomb after loan forgiveness?

The “IDR Tax Bomb” refers to the taxable income resulting from loan forgiveness after 20-25 years of payments. Preparing for this tax implication is crucial when considering an IDR plan and building a financial future.

How do student loans affect the economy?

In particular, such debt may impede economic growth in the long-run by slowing spending across certain sectors and by destabilizing personal savings typically used to survive significant financial events, such as economic recessions and retirement.

Why did my student loans just disappear?

Student loans disappear from credit reports 7.5 years from the date they are paid in full, charged-off, or entered default. However, education debt can reappear if you dig out of default with consolidation or loan rehabilitation. Student loans can have an outsized impact on your credit score.

How many people are not paying student loans?

The Qualtrics/Intuit Credit Karma report found 20 percent of borrowers hadn't made any payments on their loans. The percentage was even higher, at 27 percent, for borrowers who made less than $50,000 a year.

How would lowering college tuition help the economy?

Investments in the education sector, especially when free college is offered, can have an exponential impact on a country's economic structure. A workforce with a strong foundation in higher education always increases productivity, resulting in total economic prosperity.

Why is it so hard to pay off student loans?

If your monthly payment does not cover the accrued interest, your loan balance will go up, even though you're making payments. Unpaid interest will also capitalize each year until your total balance is 10% higher than the original balance. This means you will pay interest on your interest.

Why is student loan forgiveness bad for the economy?

If the debt forgiveness program is permitted to move forward, at a time when consumer spending already is high, it could lead to more inflation, Jones said. “We certainly don't have a consumer spending problem right now,” he said.

Why is student loan forgiveness unfair?

The nonpartisan organization also argued that this policy will lead to more inflation and drive up higher education costs. Additionally, the cancelation of these loans is fundamentally unfair. It will occur at the expense of Americans who have worked hard, repaid their debts or chosen not to go to college at all.

Is student debt forgiveness fair?

Myth: Student loan forgiveness is the fair way to help Americans escape massive amounts of debt. Fact: Borrowers signed on the dotted line for their loans. Erasing these loans does not teach borrowers to manage their debts. Moreover, the cancelation is an insult to those who diligently paid off their loans.

Can my grandma pay off my student loans?

Answer: If a friend or family member pays your student loans off, it is probably a non-taxable gift to you. However, your friend or family member may be responsible for filing gift tax returns and for paying any applicable gift tax on the payment.

Do I need to report student loans on my taxes?

Reporting the amount of student loan interest you paid in 2023 on your federal tax return may count as a deduction. A deduction reduces the amount of your income that is subject to tax, which may benefit you by reducing the amount of tax you may have to pay.

How to get the full $2500 American Opportunity credit?

To claim the American opportunity credit complete Form 8863 and submit it with your Form 1040 or 1040-SR. Enter the nonrefundable part of the credit on Schedule 3 (Form 1040 or 1040-SR), line 3. Enter the refundable part of the credit on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 29.

Is forgiveness positive or negative?

Positive (or emotional) forgiveness is a therapeutic process of absolute forgiveness, which also involves reinstituting positive feelings and thoughts toward the offender. Negative forgiveness, on the other hand, is a situation in which forgiveness is extended while brooding over the act of transgression.

What are the two things forgiveness is not?

FORGIVENESS IS NOT MAKING AN EXCUSE FOR SOMEONE

Forgiveness is not a downgrade. Forgiveness does not reclassify an offense from a “sin” to a “mistake.” Mistakes are excused. Sins are forgiven. Forgiveness inherently classifies an offense at the top level of wrongness.

Are there consequences after forgiveness?

Clearly, when God forgives He removes the eternal consequences of our sins (Romans 6:23), but there are many examples where such forgiven people still had to face the lingering physical consequences, as in the case of David (2 Samuel 12:10-14).