ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) issued the following statement Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan:

“This week, the Supreme Court set higher education back and created a host of new barriers students will face for years to come. The administration’s forgiveness plan would have provided critical relief to millions of students who are saddled with debt from student loans as soon as they leave college.

“Students and their families deserve resources and help to make higher education as accessible as possible. This decision will hurt primarily first-generation students and those facing economic hardship as the cost of college continues to rise. On top of the court’s rulings eliminating affirmative action and overturning anti-discrimination laws across our country, the blocking of much-needed debt relief is an affront to the next generation and everything young people are doing to establish their careers and better themselves and their communities.

“In Illinois, we have taken strides toward creating a system that works for all, including the record funding we are investing in the Monetary Award Program to support students with financial needs in this year’s budget. We will continue fighting for working families and students because we know that all students – no matter their background, ZIP code or income – deserve access to an affordable, quality education.”