On Friday, the United States Supreme Court struck down President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan 6-3, deeming the plan unconstitutional. 

The plan, which would have allowed eligible borrowers relief for up to $20,000 in debt and would have cost nearly half a billion dollars, was considered unlawful because it hadn't been approved by Congress. About 43 million Americans would have been eligible to participate.

The SCOTUS had also previously challenged Biden's program because they were skeptical about the administration's authority to release millions of dollars in federal loans.

Criminal justice junior Russell Jakubowski said in a text that he agrees with the Supreme Court's decision on the program. According to the constitution, Jakubowski said, the power to collect taxes and distribute public welfare can only be held by congress. 

 “The protection of the federal governments pursue is one our best safeguard against tyranny,” Jakubowski said. “It is essential to the financial well-being of this country that the Supreme Court strikes down Biden’s initiative.” 

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ended race-based admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. Neuroscience sophomore LaMonica Reeves said this decision, in conjunction with the ruling on student loans, makes it exceedingly challenging for students of color to enter and pay for college.

Because affirmative action in those universities has ended, Reeves said, scholarships for students from marginalized backgrounds could cease.

“The U.S. government sees that a lot of people are struggling to get into college … it’s not fair because then only kids of affluent families would be able to have access to universities,” Reeves said. “We have to give other people who don't come from a higher income a chance to get that education as well.”

Reeves said a friend of hers at Grand Valley State applied for the loan relief program. After the Supreme Court's ruling, they had a long conversation about collegiate futures. 

“It’s definitely going to be hard for her," Reeves said. "Because she doesn’t really have much money to pay for school and she’s an out of state student, meaning tuition is more expensive (for her)."

Graphic design junior Matt Magill said President Biden should have the authority to enforce bills that can help students pay for college. He said people not having the financial burden of loans would allow them to focus on basic needs like housing and medical care. 

“If people spend money on other stuff such as loans, they won’t have any additional income,” Magill said. “So that’s going to lead people to live miserably, they’re just going to be working all of the time and barely scraping by.” 

Magill, who also applied and was enrolled in the program, said he is waiting for Biden’s next step to relieve the financial burden of student loans. He said he was stunned to see others consider the Supreme Court's ruling a "win."

 “Paying loans is going to affect my mental health," Magill said. "This is going to be hanging over my head for a long period of time."