Student loans

B- Grade

Political Lean 72% Left-leaning

L

R

Courtney and Welch Reintroduce Bill to Eliminate Federal Student Loan Interest

Jul 23, 2026

The segment is a July 2026 Capitol Hill press conference where Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) re-introduce the Student Loan Interest Elimination Act, citing rising defaults shown on a chart, record interest rates, and impacts on young borrowers. Tiffany Dena Loftin of the U.S. Student Association shares a personal default story tied to caregiving costs. The event highlights the bill’s trust-fund offset using principal payments invested in low-risk assets (modeled on the Railroad Retirement Fund) to replace interest revenue to the Treasury. Speakers reference prior legislation like the 2007 College Cost Reduction Act and criticize a recent HR1 cap and a Republican 2% rate proposal for lacking sustainability.

▶ Source: Joe Courtney

B+ Grade

Political Lean 45% Right-leaning

L

R

Grothman cites CBO scores to defend OBBBA student loan caps saving $314 billion

Jul 17, 2026

The segment features Rep. Glenn Grothman speaking in Congress against rolling back student loan provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, signed July 2025). He argues the bill caps graduate and Parent PLUS borrowing, streamlines repayment, and delays certain discharge rules to save taxpayers hundreds of billions while preventing overborrowing for low-value degrees. Grothman references specific dollar figures from the legislation and prior Biden and Obama actions, citing examples of overborrowed borrowers in his district. He submits additional materials on colleges cutting MBA prices. The speech urges a no vote on reversal efforts.

▶ Source: Congressman Glenn Grothman

C- Grade

Political Lean 85% Left-leaning

L

R

Underwood video highlights impact of Trump loan caps on graduate nursing programs

Jul 11, 2026

The video features interviews with advanced-practice nurses in Chicago discussing the financial burden of their education and the potential effects of a new federal rule on future students' ability to pursue graduate nursing degrees. Nurses describe relying on loans for BSN, MSN, and DNP programs and express concern about reduced access to higher loan limits for communities reliant on nurse practitioners. Rep. Lauren Underwood, a nurse herself, states that her bill would repeal the underlying regulation and return to prior rules.

▶ Source: Lauren Underwood for Congress

A- Grade

Political Lean Centered

L

R

PBS NewsHour Details Court Stay on Graduate Loan Limits and New 'Do No Harm' Test

Jul 7, 2026

PBS NewsHour segment covers federal student loan changes for graduate programs, including a federal judge's temporary block on Education Department limits for certain professional degrees and a revised list expanding eligible programs from 11 to about 29, including nursing and physician assistant training. It also examines a new 'Do No Harm' accountability provision requiring programs to demonstrate graduates' earnings exceed benchmarks or risk losing federal aid eligibility. The segment features reporting by William Brangham and an interview with Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, national higher education reporter for The Washington Post. Sourcing draws on the lawsuit outcomes, Department of Education actions, and institutional reactions expected to unfold by 2028.

▶ Source: PBS NewsHour

B+ Grade

Political Lean 5% Right-leaning

L

R

SAVE plan ends for millions; borrowers get 90 days to choose new repayment options

Jul 1, 2026

The segment discusses the end of the SAVE student loan repayment plan affecting roughly 7 million borrowers as of July 1, 2026. It outlines the 90-day window for borrowers to select a new plan via studentaid.gov, automatic enrollment risks, and available options including standard, IDR, RAP, and graduated plans. Experts advise using repayment calculators and considering autopay discounts. The broadcast references Department of Education resources, quotes a nonprofit expert on debt payoff strategies, and provides national statistics on borrowers and debt totals. It notes new lifetime borrowing caps and changes to undergraduate/graduate borrowing limits.

▶ Source: The Hill