Trump links student loan forgiveness to immigration agenda in new rule

Washington: Student loan borrowers who work at nonprofits that don’t cooperate with President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda won’t be eligible for forgiveness under a rule the Education Department announced on Thursday.

The Trump administration is changing the criteria for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, a student debt cancellation program for Americans who spend part of their career working for a nonprofit, among other qualified roles.

The change is the latest instance of the Trump administration adding immigration-related conditions to long-standing federal programs. Trump in March called on the Education Department to exclude borrowers who work for organizations that “engage in activities that have a substantial illegal purpose.”

Nearly 43 million Americans have federal student loan debt, according to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.