State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, whose district encompasses Main Campus, will introduce legislation to halt student loan payments to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency for up to 60 days amid the spread of COVID-19, according to a press release from his office.
“With all the workplace closures happening in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, many commonwealth residents are grappling to pay their necessary bills because of the sudden loss of income,” Kenyatta said, according to the release. “Borrowers, especially, are unable to make payments on their student loans.”
A spokesperson for PHEAA could not be immediately reached for comment.
Students attending four-year or above institutions in Pennsylvania graduated with an average of $37,601 in debt in 2017-18, according to The Institute for College Access and Success, a higher education think tank. Sixty-five percent of graduates had debt.
President Donald Trump announced he would waive interest on all federal student loans amid the spread of COVID-19, allowing borrowers to pause their payments without any penalties, CNBC reported.
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