"Friend of the Court” brief to the Supreme Court

Click image above to read the brief.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in the challenge to President Biden’s forgiveness of student loan debt from his authority under the Higher Education Act. Low-income Arkansans regularly come to the Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) for legal help with the burden of high student loan debt; this debt is often incurred through training with few job options and at schools long out of business. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services was honored to join with dozens of legal aid organizations across the country on a “friend of the court” brief to the Supreme Court in support of this action to provide relief to millions of borrowers.

“Student loans can really help our clients get out of poverty, but so often, we see our clients struggling to pay them and are just drowning in debt. The pandemic just made it worse,” said Cecille Doan, head of CALS debt and consumer legal advocacy group. “This effort to cancel debt is tailored to help those at-risk borrowers we see every day, ensuring those from the lowest income backgrounds get the most relief. Today the Supreme Court gets to hear how this is a lawful step forward for these struggling Arkansans.”