Support WBUR
Boston's Morning Newsletter
What a Trump or Harris presidency could mean for Mass. student loan borrowers
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Seems like there’s something strange happening in Seekonk. Glad to see they’ve called in the professionals.
Now, to the news:
Payment plans: Election Day is nearly one week away, and the race is undeniably close. One thing is for certain, though: With a new president in office, changes are likely for student loan borrowing and repayment. It’s an issue affecting many local voters; about 13% of Massachusetts residents have federal student loan debt, on average owing around $35,000, according to the Education Data Initiative. Betsy Mayotte, founder of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, told Radio Boston last week she thinks student debt is huge issue this election: “The word crisis is not thrown around willy nilly, okay? But the student loan crisis is the symptom of the problem. Borrowers should know that any changes to student loans have to be made prospectively.” Mayotte shared her predictions on how each administration could handle student debt.
- If Harris wins: Mayotte says Vice President Harris will likely continue supporting the Biden Administration’s policies for student loan forgiveness (i.e., the SAVE plan). But how Harris carries out the legacy plan may vary. “Either SAVE goes away altogether, or SAVE stays in its existing form,” said Mayotte. “The one I think is the most likely is [that] we lose parts of SAVE, but maintain parts.”
- If Trump wins: Mayotte predicts a Donald Trump presidency could mean getting rid of President Joe Biden’s SAVE plan. “I suspect they’d probably go back to the old REPAYE Plan, so there would still be income-driven plans available to borrowers, just not a plan as generous as the SAVE plan,” said Mayotte. She added that could mean slightly higher payments than SAVE borrowers have now. It could also make it harder for borrowers who say they were defrauded to sue their schools and cancel their debt.
- The latest: Biden announced his third attempt at student loan forgiveness on Friday. This time it’s a measure meant to alleviate payments for borrowers facing steep financial hardship from things like childcare and medical costs. However, just like Biden’s first and second attempts, it’s likely to face court challenges, and it’s unclear if things will move forward before Biden leaves office in three months.
Before you commute: The northern end of the Orange Line remains closed this week. Shuttle buses will replace train service between Oak Grove and North Station through Nov. 1. You also have the option to take the commuter rail’s Haverhill Line for free between Oak Grove and North Station. (Just know you’ll have to pay a fare if you go beyond either station.)
- On a positive note: After this weekend’s closure, the Orange Line resumes service today between Ruggles and North Station.
Hidden history: Residents of Bourne voted last week to allot nearly $50,000 to learn more about the history of the local Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe. Kerina Silva, a member of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow the money will be used for an archaeological study of Burying Hill, the tribe’s former burial ground that’s thousands of years old. Work begins in February through a partnership with UMass Boston, but it will look a little different. All archaeological work must be non-invasive, meaning no digging.
- How will they do it? The Cape Cod Times reports after Burying Hill is cleared of brush and trees, archaeologists will use ground-penetrating radar to confirm just how many people were buried there. Silva said the tribe has also asked that any artifacts found throughout the study be kept where they are.
Showtime: Gov. Maura Healey will attend a ceremonial signing today to officially ban the use of large animals like elephants, big cats, giraffes and primates in traveling circus acts.
- Massachusetts is the sixth state to pass this kind of legislation, which carries penalties ranging from $500 to $10,000 per animal. The law comes as some of the state’s most prominent fairs — like the King Richard’s Faire and the Topsfield Fair — have not used exotic animals in shows for over four years.
P.S.— If you weren’t in the room where it happened, you can now watch political activist Luis Miranda’s full CitySpace talk last week on YouTube (featuring a surprise appearance from his son).
