Biden extends pause on student loan payments amid legal limbo for debt cancellation

President Joe Biden is extending the pause on federal student loan payments, as his plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for tens of millions of Americans remains blocked in court.

The Education Department will postpone the restart of monthly student loan payments to "no later than June 30, 2023, giving the Supreme Court time to hear the case in its current term," Biden announced on Twitter.

"Payments will resume 60 days after the Department is permitted to implement the program or the litigation is resolved, which will give the Supreme Court an opportunity to resolve the case during its current Term," the Education Department said in a statement. "If the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, 2023 — payments will resume 60 days after that."

Monthly payments and interest were set to resume after Jan. 1, but two federal courts have halted the administration’s student debt relief plan, leaving that timeline in limbo. The Biden administration asked the high court last week to revive the debt-relief plan.