Support by Program Type and Demographics
| Forgiveness Program | Overall | 18-29 | 30-44 | 45-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) | 72% | 71% | 76% | 70% | 65% |
| Income-driven repayment adjustments | 65% | 73% | 69% | 60% | 56% |
| For-profit school forgiveness | 68% | 74% | 72% | 63% | 57% |
| Broad forgiveness up to $10,000 | 48% | 62% | 52% | 40% | 32% |
| Broad forgiveness up to $50,000 | 40% | 58% | 44% | 32% | 24% |
| Full forgiveness (all balances) | 29% | 47% | 32% | 22% | 16% |
| Some forgiveness (any form) | 55% | 68% | 59% | 48% | 40% |
The Gen Z Political Calculus
Young Voters Underperform
Voters 18-29 turn out at 24-31% in midterm elections, vs. 50-60% for voters over 45. If Gen Z voters turned out at their presidential election rates (46% in 2020, 48% in 2024), Democrats would gain 4-6 additional House seats nationally. Student loan messaging is one of the most effective tools for boosting Gen Z midterm engagement, second only to abortion and climate change.
SAVE Plan Challenges
The Biden administration's SAVE plan (Saving on a Valuable Education) was challenged in federal courts, with the 8th Circuit blocking key provisions in 2024. The Trump administration moved to end SAVE entirely in 2025. The legal landscape for executive action on student debt is now highly constrained after the SCOTUS 2023 ruling blocking the $10,000 forgiveness program. Congressional action is the only remaining path to broad forgiveness.
Targeted Forgiveness Works
Public Service Loan Forgiveness — which forgives remaining debt after 10 years of payments by government and nonprofit employees — has been expanded and is the one forgiveness program with broad bipartisan support (72%). Over 900,000 borrowers received PSLF forgiveness in 2022-2024. Expanding PSLF to more workers is the most politically viable forgiveness path in a divided government.