'I'm working my butt off': Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites back on the hook for student loans

Channel 3000 News ^ | July 1, 2023 | Channel 3000 Staff

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan on Friday, a measure that would have wiped out nearly half a trillion dollars in debt for millions of Americans.

The decision will impact the nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites that have federal student loan debt -- a total that adds up to more than $20 billion.

Sid Bagley is one of those people who took out a federal student loan. He went back to school at age 45 to get a business administration degree and better himself.

“I hated my job so much I made the initiative to go back to school and do something better,” said Bagley.

But going back to school wasn’t cheap.

"I pay about $220 bucks a month in student loan repayment, which is also the same amount my rent went up this year,” Bagley said.

Since then, he’s been working hard to pay those loans back.

"I can see that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, it's just having to work so hard and so much just to get there."

Biden's plan to shave $10,000 off that total meant a lot to Bagley, but Friday morning's Supreme Court decision turned that around.

Those opposed to loan forgiveness say the decision is fair, however.

"How on earth can anyone say it is fair for them to pay for other people's education?" Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden tweeted.

Bagley disagrees.

“They think we're privileged, when — look at me, I'm wearing safety yellow and stuff, I'm working my butt off, I work three jobs just to make a decent living for myself,” said Bagley.

President Biden said Friday afternoon that he is not giving up the fight to forgive student debt, saying his administration is working on a new plan as payments are set to resume in the coming weeks.

[stanne]

Hatred is a strong word. I take it back