With a new president and a new administration, it is time to find out what a President Donald Trump will mean for students and families who are trying to afford higher education as well as for borrowers who are coping with student loans.
It looks like student loan borrowers would like to see what the Trump administration promised during his campaign, according to Forbes. However, although Trump's ideas sound really appealing, the borrowers are not really sure how it will improve their current situations.
Here are a few speculations from the experts about what student loan borrowers can expect in the future, according to US News.
Caps and cutbacks on Grad PLUS Loans
Analysts predict less or no changes to undergraduate borrowing because more focus is being given on reforming Grad PLUS. There will be no cap for graduate student borrowing through the Grad PLUS program, unlike the federal loan program for students taking a bachelor's degree. According to the National Council of Higher Education Resources, interested applicants for the program must follow federal efforts around the Grad PLUS program, but changes are expected to happen in the academic year 2019-2020.
Changes to income-driven repayment plans
In the proposal of President Donald Trump during his campaign, he suggested streamlining all income-based repayment programs into a single plan where borrowers will only have to pay 12.5 percent of their discretionary income within a 15 year payment window, and after which, they will become eligible for loan forgiveness. The changes in these payment plans are expected to take place in 2018, and that could be the earliest time.
Reforms on Public Service Loan Forgiveness
According to the experts, the loan forgiveness structure will be changed, as the administration will either cap it or do away with it completely.
