ANKENY, Iowa — U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona paid a visit to the Hawkeye State Thursday, visiting Perry Elementary and hosting a roundtable discussion at DMACC Ankeny.
Cardona's visit was centered around the topics of teacher apprenticeship programs and rural education in Iowa. He also spoke with DMACC students interested in education careers.
In an interview with Local 5, Cardona spoke about the Biden Administration's recent cancellation of nearly $5 billion in student loan debt.
When asked how the additional debt relief will impact borrowers in Iowa, Cardona spoke of a conversation he had with a student at DMACC who was concerned about how much debt she would go into in order to earn a college degree.
"It speaks to the challenge that so many Americans have, the runaway costs of college," Cardona said. "We created the best income-driven repayment program, which about 40,000 folks from Iowa here have taken advantage of."
The total approved debt cancellation under President Joe Biden now sits at nearly $132 billion, with more than 3.6 million Americans able to benefit.
Those who qualify for this new relief must meet certain requirements.
One way is under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which wipes away remaining student loan debt after qualifying public-sector workers make 10 years’ worth of monthly payments.
Iowa educator Jamie Walker Sallis falls into that category. After earning her master's degree, Sallis had incurred more than $100,000 in student debt.
After years of making payments, her original loan balance was higher than where it started due to interest. But as an educator, Sallis received full loan forgiveness through PSLF.
“After 120 payments, I was able to have almost $99,000 forgiven," Sallis said. "It was a huge relief. I have multiple friends and colleagues who were able to do the same."
Cardona, who worked both as a teacher and administrator, hopes those in a similar position as Sallis know what is available to them through.
"We're unapologetic, and we're serious about making higher education more affordable, and more accessible," Cardona said.
The Biden Administration also made fixes to the income-driven repayment forgiveness program. Nearly 12,000 borrowers in Iowa who are enrolled in the program have been identified for forgiveness, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education.