Biden v. Nebraska

Does the Secretary of Education have the power to waive student loans?

Biden v. Nebraska, 600 U.S. 477 (2023) was a significant Supreme Court case concerning the Biden administration's 2022 plan to forgive federal student loans, which was challenged by several states. On June 30, 2023, the Court ruled 6–3 that the Secretary of Education lacked the authority to waive student loans under the HEROES Act.

This case was heard alongside Department of Education v. Brown, 600 U.S. 551 (2023), in which members of the student loan program challenged the debt forgiveness initiative. However, this case was vacated due to a lack of standing among the plaintiffs.

Chief Justice Roberts stated that the authority granted to the Secretary of Education to "waive or modify" loan terms could not be extended to the student loan forgiveness program. He emphasized that debt cancellation of this magnitude required explicit congressional authorization and fell under the major questions doctrine.