How the federal student loan forgiveness program will impact Middle Tennessee

Thousands of Tennesseans could have their student loans reduced or wiped clean under a new program by the Biden administration.

Student loan forgiveness is on a lot of people’s minds since one in eight Tennesseans has student loan debt. It’s a topic folks have strong opinions about – and with about 20 colleges and universities in the Middle Tennessee area, Nashville is especially impacted. 

In this episode, we’re joined by former and future college students to talk about how student loans have shaped their education decisions. Then, we hear from a lawyer and an economist to learn more about how student loans work and what the Biden administration’s new plan could mean for the future of education in Tennessee and the country.

But first, WPLN’s environmental reporter shares her latest reporting on the Tennessee Valley Authority and the future of energy.

Guests

• Caroline Eggers, WPLN environmental reporter
• Anne Vydra, voice talent
• Quentin Ding, senior at Cookeville High School
• Elsie Kindall, graduate student at Vanderbilt University
• DJ Rausa, attorney specializing in student loans
• Celeste Carruthers, University of Tennessee Knoxville labor economics professor

Additional reading: 

• WPLN: One Nashville borrower on what Biden’s student debt forgiveness means for her
• Knoxville News Sentinel: More than 271,000 Tennesseans will have their student loans canceled under Biden plan