When the Supreme Court convenes on Tuesday (February 28) to determine whether the Biden administration has the authority to forgive billions of dollars in student loan debt, those indebted have no intention of going quietly.
On Monday evening, braving the cold and wet elements, hundreds of people had gathered outside the courthouse, with more expected to join them as buses will be bringing in groups, as justices decide on one of Biden’s major campaign promises — student debt relief.
Kayla McMonagle, a sophomore at Temple University, currently owes $20,000 in student loans, and the first in her family to attend college was equipped with sleeping bags and emergency blankets.
McMonagle is set to be among the first to give oral arguments on Tuesday during two challenges to Biden’s plan.
According to reporting by The Hill, McMonagle explained that excessive student loan debt was affecting her generation most and would “impact our children’s generation and generations to come.”
Organizers of Tuesday’s rally expect the crowd to breach 3,000 as oral arguments begin. The crowd will include activists, members of Congress, and borrowers.
Although a decision is still months away, demonstrations are underway as borrowers eagerly await an outcome.
Coming from a low-income family, McMonagle suggested traveling to Washington, D.C., and missing the midterms was worth it, as she wants “to go to grad school” and, possibly, “get a Ph.D.,” given her “love [for] learning.”
Others joined McMonagle in preparing Tuesday’s “People’s Rally,” an event planned by more than 20 organizations, including the Georgia Collective, NAACP, and New Georgia Project.
