WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is reshaping a student loan cancellation program into what some fear will become a tool for political retribution, taking aim at organizations that serve immigrants and transgender youth.
The Education Department is preparing an overhaul of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that would strip the benefit from organizations involved in “illegal activities” and allow the U.S. education secretary to decide which should lose eligibility. A draft proposal released by the department includes definitions of illegal activity that center on immigration, terrorism and transgender issues.
Several advocates invited to weigh in on the draft proposal raised concerns it would give the department subjective authority to decide if an organization is engaged in anything illegal – a power that could be used to remove entire hospital systems or state governments from the program.
“That’s definitely an indicator for me that this is politically motivated and perhaps