The White House will open the process this month to request cancellation of up to $ 20,000 student debt

Washington DC – The White House plans to open a website this month through which millions of people – including 275,500 in Puerto Rico – will be able to request that up to $ 20,000 of their student loan debt be canceled.

According to an administration official, the process will include fraud prevention measures.

President Joe Biden announced in August a plan – which has been contested by Republican officials and conservative groups – that aims to write off up to $ 20,000 in the case of Pell grant recipients and up to $ 10,000 for other borrowers.

The White House has estimated that people who have student loans and reside in Puerto Rico have an average debt of $ 28,000 and that total financial obligations are around $ 9,000 million.

A sample of the form, issued by the Biden administration, indicates that the applicant will only be asked for very basic information, such as name, social security number, telephone number and e-mail address.

Politico reported that debtors must certify under oath that they meet the income requirement. In order for a person to receive debt relief, they may not have had an income of $ 125,000 or more as an individual or $ 250,000 as a couple in the years 2020 and 2021.

Of the 275,500 people in Puerto Rico who are eligible for debt cancellation, the Biden administration estimates that 241,900 are or have been beneficiaries of Pell grants.

According to the White House, 90% of student debt cancellation will go to people with an income of less than $ 75,000 per year.