Press Releases 
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April 2, 2021
Today, Secretary Cardona joined a roundtable discussion alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Elizabeth Warren to listen as student loan borrowers and advocates shared their stories about the impact student loan debt has had on their lives. The borrowers and advocates included a veteran father of five who was misled by a for-profit college, a recent college graduate, and a mother whose student loan debt led her to experience homelessness.
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March 30, 2021Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced an expansion of the pause on federal student loan interest and collections to all defaulted loans in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program. This action will help more than one million additional borrowers burdened by debt during the COVID-19 emergency.
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March 29, 2021
The Department of Education (Department) today announced relief for certain borrowers who have received student loan discharges due to total and permanent disability. These changes will ensure no borrowers are at risk of having their loans reinstated, meaning they would have to repay their debt—for failure to provide earnings information during the COVID-19 emergency.
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March 25, 2021
On March 24, 2021, the Department of Education hosted the National Safe School Reopening Summit. The summit gathered key education stakeholders from around the nation to discuss best practices on reopening schools quickly and safely.
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March 24, 2021
“Today’s findings from the National Center for Education Statistics show encouraging early progress in states and communities’ efforts to reopen schools safely and quickly. As of February, 76% of schools were open for full-time or hybrid learning. While schools continue to show us what’s possible as they work to open their doors and meet students’ needs, we know that we still have a lot of ground to go.
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March 24, 2021
Today, at the National Safe School Reopening Summit hosted by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), President Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will announce additional steps the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to help schools safely and quickly reopen and meet the needs of all students.
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March 23, 2021
How the U.S. Department of Education is Helping Schools Reopen Safely and Meet the Needs of Students
COVID-19 has been devastating for students and families. Despite heroic work by educators, staff, and families, the pandemic has led to increased absences, interruptions in learning opportunities and outcomes, more hungry kids and families, and more social isolation.
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March 22, 2021
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today announced that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver pre-taped remarks during the virtual National Safe School Reopening Summit, which will be held on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 from 12 p.m. – 3:30 p m EDT.
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March 22, 2021
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today sent a letter to The Honorable Pedro Pierluisi, Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, informing him that the U.S. Department of Education (Department) has provided the Commonwealth immediate access to $912 million in Federal education funds, which had not been available to Puerto Rico as a result of previously imposed grant conditions.
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March 19, 2021
To provide ongoing relief from the COVID-19 emergency and implement provisions in the American Rescue Plan recently signed by President Biden, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) is announcing additional benefits, outreach, flexibilities, and guidance to assist students, federal student aid applicants, and institutions of higher educations.