MACON, Ga. — For Kendra Jolly, a Central Georgia Technical College student, President Joe Biden's recent announcement on student forgiveness loans will help her out, she said.
Biden is proposing forgiving student loans for some people who meet certain qualifications. If someone owes loans with the Department of Education and make less than $125,000 are eligible.
Those who have received a Pell Grant, a grant for low-income students who qualify, and some postbaccalaureate students, are eligible for up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness.
For those who have not received a grant, they are eligible for $10,000.
Jolly's a veteran, a single mom, and an employee at Central Georgia Technical College. She said she tries her best to juggle all her responsibilities.
The money will help lift a weight off her shoulders, she said. The Veterans Association is helping her pay for some of her schooling, but she is grateful for the extra push the loans can provide her.
"With me applying for school loans, I don't just use that for school loans, I'm using that to pay some of the stuff I have to pay at home," Jolly said. "It balances out for me so I'm able to budget and do more with the forgiveness."
Jolly received her associate's degree in criminal justice and is in school to receive another associate's degree in logistics management.
She said she is looking forward to the loans helping out more students like her.
"There's so much going on financially, and I know that we can utilize the extra funds," she said. "I know that we can do other things that essentially need to be done and not just for school."
Janet Kelly at Central Georgia Technical College helps manage financial aid for students. She said about 25 percent of the student population uses student loans.
"Our former students, our graduates who may have already taken out loans may benefit from this, but we see it as an opportunity for students to maybe relieve some of the debt that they have," Kelly said.
The U.S. Department of Education is working on releasing more specific information for loan borrowers within coming weeks.