Student Loan Forgiveness
What This Means for Beauty Professionals
Key Takeaways
- Student loan forgiveness programs can provide relief for beauty professionals with qualifying federal loans.
- Programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and income-driven repayment plans may reduce or eliminate remaining debt over time.
- Private student loans do not qualify for federal forgiveness programs, but refinancing or alternative repayment options may be available.
- Keeping up with policy updates and ensuring eligibility requirements are met is crucial for those seeking loan forgiveness.
- Consulting with a financial advisor or loan servicer can help beauty professionals navigate repayment options and maximize benefits.
Student loans. It’s one of those small phrases that can make you feel big things. If you took out loans to pay for cosmetology school, you might know what we’re talking about.
Though the ability to take out a loan can be incredibly useful, the act of paying them off (and being able to do so without a mountain of interest piling up) is one of the biggest challenges of our current education system.
But recently, the United States government–President Joe Biden, specifically–announced a plan to forgive student loan debt up to $20,000 in some cases.
If you’re anything like us, you probably have a couple of questions–like, does this apply to my cosmetology student loans?
Or probably something like, “ummm…where can I sign up?”
This blog is here to dive into the details–the ones we could dig up, anyway–about this upcoming policy change, the likelihood of it actually happening, and of course, if your cosmetology student loans apply to this new policy. Keep reading to learn more!
Why is Everyone Talking About Student Loan Forgiveness?
In August of 2022, President Joe Biden announced a plan for federal student loan forgiveness–a policy that would impact hundreds of thousands of students who are still in debt from taking out loans for school.
Though the policy hasn’t yet technically been enacted, applications are open for students and borrowers to apply for forgiveness. Here are the main details borrowers should consider about student loan forgiveness:
- Borrowers who did not receive a Pell Grant can receive up to $10,000 in forgiveness
- Borrowers who did receive a Pell Grant could receive up to $20,000 in forgiveness
- The relief is eligible for those who make under $135,000 per year or are in households that make less than $250,000 per year.
- As long as borrowers fall under the income cap, a lot of different kinds of loans qualify–about 37 million borrowers will be eligible.
- Loans taken out after June 30, 2022, are not eligible for the forgiveness program.
- If all goes according to plan, forgiveness applications will begin sometime in October (borrowers should check the website and stay up to date).
How Does Student Loan Forgiveness Apply to Beauty Pros?
Like most policies the government passes, this one is complicated. The question of whether or not beauty pros will be impacted by Biden’s student loan forgiveness policy is met with a sort of uncertain answer–maybe.
Technically, student loans are student loans–and cosmetology students fall into that category. And if you meet the criteria that the student loan forgiveness policy lays out (which we discussed above), it’s highly likely that you could fall into the student loan forgiveness category.
So, if that’s true, then why do we give you a cautious maybe as an answer? Well, for a couple of reasons:
- This policy isn’t exactly set in stone. Like most things in politics, this is subject to change–so the details aren’t exactly hammered out yet. To steal a quote from a Harvard Law Professor in a CNBC article, “the uncertainty for borrowers in the meantime is, I’m afraid, considerable.”
- It’s hard to say if cosmetology student loans are classified as the same category as other student loans.
- It will depend on where you took out your loans, the type of loan, and the amount you still owe on your loans. That same CNBC article says that the Department of Education is looking to work with private lenders to include borrowers that fall in that category–but unfortunately, that has yet to be 100% confirmed.
Not sure how this applies to you? Our best bet is to do a little independent research and talk to a professional who can help guide you through the process. A maybe might not feel like a solid answer, but it’s enough to do a little digging to see if you apply for student loan forgiveness. We’re sure the research is worth a little debt forgiveness!
We hope this article piqued your interest–and at best, we hope it alerted you to an important change that could be happening in your student loan debt.
Do you think you will apply for this program? Are you planning to submit an application? Let us know in the comments what you think about the student loan forgiveness plan and how it applies to cosmetologists.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do beauty professionals qualify for student loan forgiveness?
Beauty professionals with federal student loans may qualify for programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) or income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, depending on their employment status and loan type.
Q: Are private student loans eligible for forgiveness?
No, private student loans do not qualify for federal loan forgiveness programs, but refinancing or negotiating with lenders may help reduce payments.
Q: How can I apply for student loan forgiveness?
To apply, check your eligibility through the Federal Student Aid website or contact your loan servicer for assistance with PSLF or IDR plan enrollment.
Q: What if I don’t qualify for loan forgiveness?
If you don’t qualify, consider income-driven repayment plans, refinancing options, or state-based assistance programs to manage your loan payments.
Q: How can I stay updated on loan forgiveness changes?
Regularly check the Federal Student Aid website and consult a financial advisor or loan servicer to stay informed on policy updates and new repayment options.
