Class of 2026 left behind in loan program

UI’s first-year students struggle to pay school fees after being left out of the federal loan forgiveness program.

When the Biden Administration announced its student loan forgiveness program, many University of Iowa students and graduates were excited at the possibility of having up to $20,000 of their loans for-

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This weekend in Arts and entertainment dents in the class of 2026 feel they have been left behind. The student loan forgiveness program was initiated as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and only applies to people who borrowed loans before June 30, 2022. Federal student loans for first-year college students began in August 2022. “I thought I was pretty self-aware in the beginning of the financial aid process,” Morgan Schropp, a UI first year student, said. “I started by looking for scholarships and such, and after a while, I kind of got the impression that everything would be automatic. Easy.”

After Schropp got her first U-Bill, she said she was shocked to see there was no financial relief from the university after all of the scholarships she applied for.

“I am so happy for those above me that have the possibility of loan forgiveness, like my sister, but I can’t say it wouldn’t be nice to have the same opportunity,” she said.

Schropp said despite having a high GPA in high school and academic offers from other schools, she chose the UI because she believed it was inexpensive. Now, she said she is relying on her FAFSA loans that will add up to roughly $22,000 at the end of her four years.

“I’ve been in contact with financial aid and ended up in touch with admissions as well to look into more opportunities, but the experience has not been the greatest,” she said.